


A Bargain for Her Heart

by CharlotteAshmore



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: A deal with the Dark One, AU – Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Moe is a douchebag, Romance, Smut, Storybrooke, True Love, Valentine’s Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-04 16:46:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17901812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteAshmore/pseuds/CharlotteAshmore
Summary: Gold has a deal for Belle … “I’ll forgive your father’s loans if you become my housekeeper, spend Valentine’s Day with me … oh, and you have to give me two kisses per day.” Left with little choice, Belle agrees, but who will emerge the victor in their little meeting of the minds? Will she succumb, or will he fall victim to his own machinations?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a work of pure fiction. All characters and events depicted in this story are entirely fictitious. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
> 
> Valentine writing contest for OUAT Fan Fiction & Creations on Facebook (2014). Prompt: Major Pairing, Red, Heart, Rose
> 
> A/n: This is another of my re-posts, darlings. Hope you enjoy this little blast from the past.

          Mr. Gold turned the placard hanging on the door to  _Sorry, we're closed_  and threw the deadbolt, securing his privacy as he made his way hurriedly to the back room of the pawn shop. He breathed heavily, his face ashen and his stomach churning and roiling as another wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him. The name chanted a litany in his aching head as he nearly fell into the plush leather chair behind his cluttered desk. 

          _Emma, Emma, Emma … Damn Regina! Damn the curse! Damn her lies which spew forth like bile to infect and destroy until nothing is left._  The savior had come and with her, the return of his memories. Only one memory seemed to dominate his every thought. His Belle, his true love, the reason his heart had begun to beat once more and save him from the eternal darkness … was alive.

          _Belle_. His breath caught in his throat as he recalled her delicate features, the curve of her exposed neck begging for his lips, the brightness of her smile upon her rosebud mouth, her cerulean eyes which lit up with laughter and love and the angelic chime of her voice. He ached for her with every fiber of his being. And in his rage, he'd thrown it all away. In his cowardice, he'd shunned her and sent her away from the Dark Castle and his life forever.

          Regina, bile spewing from her twisted ruby mouth, her words daggers meant to wound, to slice, to tear into him with every utterance, had metaphorically ripped his heart from his chest with only two … _she died._  And he had been vulnerable enough in his guilt, in his _pain_ , for choosing his power over Belle, to believe her.

          He'd searched for her, scoured the entire realm for any hint of her essence, only to be disappointed over and over again. She was gone, dead. Her light had been extinguished, the same light which had been brave enough to wage war against his darkness.

          Never again would he hear her laugh, see her smile, or feel her touch, and he'd felt as though a part of him had died along with her. He, Rumpelstiltskin, the most powerful mage to ever live, the terror of the Enchanted Forest, had felt he could exist as long as his Belle was alive, happy, and safe. And now she was no more. His heart had blackened, his rage had built, and despair had enshrouded his soul.

          "Lies! Cruel, vicious lies!" he raged. He grabbed his pounding head in both hands and closed his eyes, willing the pain to subside. His memories of Rumpelstiltskin and Mr. Gold, two halves of the same person, battled mercilessly behind his sable eyes. His Belle had been alive all this time and he'd never known her for who she truly was.

          Under the curse, she was Belle French, daughter of that worthless good for nothing florist two blocks over. Moe French gambled, he drank, he mismanaged his funds and Belle was there to enable him by working two jobs to keep his business from going under. She worked at Granny's as a waitress, dependent on her sweet smile to encourage the diners to tip her well, every penny put toward the debts her father owed. Then she would work at the flower shop for free so Moe wouldn't have to pay wages to someone else.

          Gold opened the bottom drawer of his desk and removed a tumbler and a half-empty bottle of scotch. He poured two fingers of the amber liquid into the glass and tossed it back, ignoring the burn of the liquid as it coursed down his throat to settle uneasily in his empty stomach. It didn't help the pain in his chest where his heart beat dully in agony. An agony only the return of his love could ease.

          Tears gathered in his eyes as he thought of the fiery little woman who worked so hard. How she could continue to care for her father he didn't know. More than once he'd seen her with a bruise on her cheek or finger marks on her arms when Moe had had too much to drink or lost too much at the track. The rage began to build once more, and his long slender fingers gripped the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white and bloodless.

          But was he any better? Regina had made sure to have her revenge against him. He'd written the curse to make her have to sacrifice the heart of the thing she loved most. She'd taken the heart of her father. Then the wench had turned around and made it where he would have to take Belle's. Not in the literal sense; no … Regina was cruel and much more vicious in her plans.

          She had made it where every time he interacted with Belle, he would be indifferent, cold and malicious. In turn, Belle would think him the most callous man in existence. They didn't love one another under the curse; they were enemies. But of all the enemies he'd made out of his tenants and those who were indebted to him, she was the only one unafraid to stand up to him.

          Regina had made certain Belle hated him and wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. The very thought of seeing hatred in his beloved's eyes made his stomach roil viciously. He raked a hand through his hair, a few strands coming loose on his fingers in his frustration. How was he supposed to fix this? How was he supposed to reawaken her love for him? He wasn't sure that he could. And even if he did, would she still feel the same way about him as she had before he'd callously shunned her and cast her out?

          The first thing he had to do was get her to talk to him, and considering her feelings towards him, he was afraid it would be a daunting task. A slow smile, reminiscent of his alter-ego, formed on his lips as he thought of the fire which would ignite in her eyes when she learned of his scheme. She'd have no alternative but to make a deal with him. She'd be furious and passionate and glorious, and she would be at his mercy. He'd remind her of who she was, who he was and who they were together. He'd wake her up or die trying.

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle opened the bathroom door and dashed into her bedroom across the hall in the two bedroom flat above the flower shop she shared with her father. She glanced anxiously at the digital clock sitting on the nightstand by her bed and groaned. She was going to be late for her shift at Granny's, which meant this was going to be her third offense. She'd be extremely fortunate if she still had a job at the end of the day.

          Dressing the fastest she'd ever done before, she ran through the flat yelling at her father to get up and get moving so he could open the shop downstairs. He was face down on the sofa in the living room, snoring away into a pillow, the floor littered with beer cans.

          She picked up her apron and her purse and made her way down the stairs, her trainers silent on the staircase. She opened the door to the shop and barreled into Mr. Dove, a giant of a man who worked for Mr. Gold. Belle had to crane her neck to look up into his stern countenance and smile sheepishly. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Dove, but I'm going to be late. The rent isn't due until next week. Did you need something?"

          "Mr. Gold asked me to deliver this to Mr. French," he told her, his voice soft. He'd never been unkind to Belle before and he wasn't going to start now. "Is he available?"

          Belle glanced behind her at the door she'd just locked behind her, worrying her bottom lip between her pearly teeth, and then down to the pristine envelope in his hands. "Um … no, actually. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked, trying not to cringe at the thought of the big man facing her father in his hung over condition.

          "I was really supposed to give this to your father, Miss Belle."

          Belle pasted her sweetest smile to her face and looked up. "How about you let me take that and come by the diner later for a cup of coffee … on me. It's the least I can do for putting you to so much trouble this morning."

          The corner of Dove's mouth twitched slightly in the semblance of a smile before he chased it away. In his position as Mr. Gold's muscle, he wasn't allowed to show his softer side, even to little girls as lovely as Belle French. "That won't be necessary, Miss Belle. I will come back later when Mr. French is available."

          "Suit yourself, Mr. Dove," she replied sweetly and turned to walk the two blocks to Granny's. "But don't forget to come by for coffee."

          Dove fished his cell phone from his pocket and called Mr. Gold. "Mr. French is unavailable and Miss Belle offered to take delivery."

          "Did you give it to her?" Gold asked.

          "No, you said to give it directly to Mr. French."

          Gold sighed on the other end of the phone as he thought of his Belle running off down the street for her shift at Granny's, suddenly very hungry for breakfast. "Use your key, Dove, and make sure Mr. French understands the terms of the contract in your possession. You'll undoubtedly have to sober him up first."

          "As you wish, Mr. Gold."

          "Oh, and, Dove? Make certain he's sober by the time Belle arrives for her shift at _Game of Thorns_ … by any means necessary."

 

*.*.*

 

          "I know I'm late," Belle groaned as she came to stand next to Ruby behind the counter, tying the strings of her apron and picking up an order pad. "Thanks for covering for me."

          Ruby rolled her eyes as if she couldn't care less if Belle was late or not. It's not as though she hadn't been late before and she lived just behind the diner at the B&B with her grandmother. "So why were you late this time, Belles? Don't tell me it's because you had a date last night. Not even I would believe that one." Everyone in town knew Belle French worked too hard to have time to date.

          Belle sighed deeply to stifle a yawn which was threatening. "No, I was up last night doing the books for the shop." A deep frown creased her brow. "I just don't understand how my father has gotten along all these years without the business going under."

          Ruby placed her hands on Belle's shoulders and gave her a little shake. "Why should he care when you're working two jobs to support his sorry ass?" she asked heatedly. "If you left, maybe he would take responsibility for his own life and sober up. He's using you!"

          "Shh!" Belle hissed, refusing to go into this topic with Ruby this morning. She was tired and her mind was still fogged with weariness. She didn't need to listen to her best friend rant at her … even if it was the truth. "You don't need to announce it to the entire diner."

          "I'm sorry, Belles," Ruby apologized, ducking her head to hide the fury burning in her deep brown eyes. "I just worry about you."

          "I know." Belle pushed her hurt feelings aside and grabbed a fresh pot of coffee to make the rounds in her section. She had just filled Dr. Whale’s cup when the bell on the door jingled, announcing a new arrival. The smile of greeting slid off her face to land somewhere around her shoes when she saw Mr. Gold walk into the diner, leaning heavily on his cane, and take a seat at the farthest booth to the back of her section.  _Damn! Just what I need. Can this day get any better?_  she thought dryly as she marched over to him.

          "Good morning, Mr. Gold. Coffee?" she asked, flipping over the coffee mug on the table preparing to pour. She was a hair's-breath from sneering at the odious little man. If it weren't for him, maybe she wouldn't have to work so hard to make ends meet.

          "Good morning, Belle. How are you, dearie?" he asked, his mouth curving up into a half moon smile from the pleasure of seeing her. For the past two days, his mind had been filled with memories from both lives and now she was standing before him in all her glory trying her damnedest to keep from pouring the pot of coffee she held in his lap.

          Belle quirked a brow and narrowed her eyes on him dangerously as she wondered what game he was playing at now. He nodded to the mug waiting on the table and she poured, her eyes flitting between the cup and the pawnbroker. "What can I get for you this morning, Mr. Gold?" she asked, her voice quavering slightly as she met his bold stare.

          He licked his suddenly dry lips, wanting nothing more than to haul her forcefully from the premises and lock her away in his home until she regained her memory. He could tell by the tightening of her lips into a thin line she had been unsettled by his casual query. They just didn't exchange pleasantries. It wasn't done. He would enjoy getting his revenge on Regina for her machinations. He was brought out of his reverie by the impatient tapping of her pen against the order booklet.

          "I'm sorry, dear, what did you say?"

          "What. Can. I. Get. You?" she asked, her tone implying he was dense in the extreme.

          His lips twitched at her condescending tone. Only his Belle would be so bold. "What do you recommend?" he asked, causing her to gape in astonishment. He never asked for anyone's opinion. Ever. He was enjoying their little game.

          She recovered quickly, snapping her mouth closed and smiling with honey sweet venom. "What do I recommend? How about …" She leaned forward, her palm flat on the table and her nose mere inches from his own. He inhaled sharply, her scent of roses and vanilla enveloping him and stealing away his good sense. "… eating elsewhere. Boston, maybe?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as though giving the idea serious thought.

          Gold could hear the needle scratch reverberating in his head and his lips curled back into a snarl. "Fine. French toast, bacon … make certain it's crisp."

          Without another word, she turned on her heel and flounced off to put his order in. Moments later, she dropped his plate heavily on the table in front of him. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Gold," she grinned unrepentantly, anything but.

          "This is  _not_  what I ordered," he complained, looking down at the dry unbuttered toast and an order of sausage links."

          Belle smiled sweetly and fluttered her lashes innocently in his direction. "Of course, it is, Mr. Gold. You ordered French toast and an order of crisp bacon." She glanced down at his plate. "And that's exactly what I've brought you." She placed his ticket face down on the table beneath his empty coffee cup … a cup she had no intention of refilling. "Have a lovely day."

          His quiet laughter followed her all the way back to the counter as he ignored the plate before him and rose from the booth, dropping several bills on the table. Belle stiffened and grabbed a damp towel to wipe down the counter, her cool cerulean gaze following Gold to the door. She had to bite her lip to keep her face impassive. She'd never heard Gold laugh before and she'd definitely never been the cause of it. But what surprised her most was the warm tingling heat which ignited in her blood as the sound of his laughter washed over her.

 

*.*.*

 

          "He did what?" Belle shrieked, dropping heavily onto the chair at the kitchen table. She had come upstairs to change clothes before starting her shift at the flower shop and found her father nearly weeping into his cup of coffee.

          "You can read it for yourself, my girl. Gold has raised the rate on the loan and increased the rent by a hundred dollars," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands as he wallowed in misery of his own making, looking for someone else to blame. "We'll never make it. We're barely scraping by as it is."

          Belle's mind whirled with the panic rising within her. They were going to lose the business. They were going to be evicted. Homeless, jobless and still taking care of her father. It couldn't happen. "Maybe you can take my shift at the shop and I can find another job. Perhaps Mr. Clark would hire me as a cashier. Or I could try to find work at the market?" she asked, not really expecting her father to answer and surprised when he did.

          "If I take your shift, who's going to make the deliveries? I can't do both, Belle. I need you to work."

          Fury and helplessness didn't make a great combination. "Damn him! This is all his fault and I'm  _not_  going to sit by and let him get away with this."

 

*.*.*

 

          Gold smirked to himself as he poured the water into the ceramic teapot on his desk. He glanced at the clock above the door leading into the front of the shop. Belle should have gotten home over an hour ago. He wondered idly if Moe French had already shared the news with his lovely daughter. She should be in a right fit state of anger by now. He closed his eyes, imagining her in all her fury; eyes flashing, lips parted, face flushed, chest heaving. He had to bite his lip to fight down the white-hot surge of lust which assailed him.

          The bell over the door chimed, followed by a slam, heralding the arrival of his beloved. "Gold, you bastard! Get your scrawny ass out here this instant!" she shouted.

          He glanced down at himself, a frown forming between his eyes.  _Scrawny? Did she really think him scrawny or was that the curse talking?_  Oh, she was in a fine rage, he thought as he pushed the curtain aside and stood in the doorway, taking her in. His imaginings had been spot-on. She was breathtaking. "Ah, Miss French, what a delightful surprise. What can I do for …"

          Her open palm smacked loudly against his left cheek. "How dare you! You know damn good and well we can't afford an increase and yet you did it anyway."

          Gold's eyes glowed like twin coals, a sharp contrast to the deep red handprint forming on his face. He grabbed her wrist and hauled her into the back room, letting the curtain flutter back into place behind them and swinging her around to face him. "There is no cause for violence." He didn't know what he wanted to do more, put her over his knee and spank her or kiss her senseless.

          "I can't think of a better reason than you trying to ruin us!" She was still yelling, and it was beginning to make his head ache. She was going to have to calm down if he was going to have any chance of having a civil conversation with her. Although, with what he had in mind, she wasn't going to be happy.

          "Have a seat, dearie. Tea?" he asked, gracing her with a smirk. It took all his self-control to bite back a giggle.

          Her mouth fell open, gaping at him incredulously. "Are you daft, man? I am not here to have tea with you."

          "Suit yourself," he shrugged, pouring himself a cup and settling himself in the chair behind his desk. She crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive maneuver and glared at him, her eyes flashing daggers in his direction. He was glad to have the desk in front of him to hide his arousal. "You still have time to come up with the money you owe me, Miss French. It isn't due until next week."

          Her nails dug into her upper arms to stop herself from screeching, instead willing herself to speak calmly through her clenched teeth. "I cannot come up with an additional eight hundred dollars in a week, Gold. We're barely making it now as it is. Even if I can get another job instead of working at  _Game of Thorns_ , there's no way I'll get a paycheck for two weeks. And we all know how ungracious you are with extensions."

          His smug smile took a nose dive into his tea cup and he actually felt guilt gnaw at his gut. He admitted it; he was a ruthless bastard. He was a monster. Without his Belle, he didn't care who he hurt, who he took advantage of or who he left homeless. Without her, nothing mattered. He didn't have anyone to mold him into a better man. He needed her light to fight back his darkness, and there she stood looking at him as if he were a gooey mess stuck to the bottom of her shoe. He had to remind himself that what he was doing was for her. Or was it ultimately for him? He'd have to rethink that one later. He'd come this far. It was much too late to back out now.

          "What do you suggest, Miss French?" he asked, cursing himself inwardly when his voice came out soft and heavily accented. Now was not the time to let his love for her soften his resolve.

          Belle dropped down wearily on the sofa in his office and pinched the bridge of her nose, stalling for time as she thought it through. She had nothing left of value to offer him, her father had already seen to that, stripping them of everything to support his vices. "I don't know," she said, her voice flat and devoid of hope.

          Gods, he hated to see her so broken. "Why do you do it, Belle? Why do you work so hard to support a father who couldn't care less if you were sleeping in a gutter?" he hissed indignantly, his own anger firing his blood at seeing his love being mistreated and feeling helpless to take away her misery without adding to it first. "He gambles away what little you bring home. And what he doesn't gamble away, he spends on alcohol. He doesn't care if you have a roof over your head, or food on the table. When is the last time you had a decent meal, Belle?" he asked, rising from his chair and coming to stand before her.

          Tears streamed down her face and she brushed them away quickly before he could see. Her hair fell forward, forming a curtain around her face to hide her ashen features from him. "Papa loves me. He just has a problem, one I can't seem to fix," she confessed in a small voice, hating the pain evident in her tone.

          He sat down beside her and touched her chin, surprised when she lifted her watery blue eyes to meet his gaze instead of flinching away from him. "Tell me what you want, Belle. Are you willing to make a deal with me?"

          A shiver tripped up her spine, one which left her with a feeling of absolute warmth at the way her name tumbled from his lips. For the first time, she felt a ray of hope shine on her desolation. But how could she even think about making a deal with the monster of Storybrooke? No one ever came away on the better side of a deal with him. But really, what choice did she have? "What do you want, Gold? What more could you possibly take from us?" she asked, allowing all her bitterness and frustration creep into her tone.

          "Are you certain this is what you want? If you agree to my deal, there will be no backing out. You will have to fully commit to it," he said, kicking himself for even suggesting an out.

          "Will it save our business?"

          "Yes." He offered her his handkerchief and sat back, well away from her to give her time to consider. "But I will explain my terms before you decide. I want you to know exactly what I expect from you before you agree."

          Belle collapsed against the back of the sofa and rested her head against the soft cushion, trying to prepare herself for the inevitable. She didn't have a choice. It didn't matter what his terms were, she'd be forced to accept. This is what he wanted. This was why he'd backed her into a corner, and she hated him for it.

          She peeked at him from beneath her lashes, expecting to see him wearing an expression of triumph. She frowned, wondering why he wasn't oozing with smug satisfaction. Instead, he was watching her with what almost amounted to sympathy.

          Gold, for the first time in his life, was second guessing himself. He'd been over every scenario possible to get her away from her father and her miserable existence and every time it played in his head, she said no. A great big fat NO. And she was going to hate him. Again, he cursed Regina for giving Belle cursed memories where she loathed and despised him, her true love. It was just wrong.

          He could only hope when everything was done, that she wouldn't hold it against him. "Alright, Miss French. If you hold up your end of the bargain, I will forgive your father's debt and lower the rent by five hundred dollars."

          Belle's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, her gasp the only sound in the room. "You're joking right?"

          "I assure you, Miss French, I don't joke about my deals," he assured her, mildly affronted she would think so. "As I was saying, I will forgive the loan and lower the rent."

          She narrowed her disbelieving gaze on him, highly suspicious now of what she'd have to do in return. "Oh, Gods! I am _not_ having sex with you, you pervert!" she railed at him, climbing to her feet and marching towards the curtain.

          "Sit down, Miss French!" he commanded through clenched teeth. She stopped, a shiver of fear coursing through her, never having heard him raise his voice like that before. She resumed her seat and stared straight ahead, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm not asking you to have sex with me."  _More's the pity!_  He rose from the sofa and retrieved the contract he'd had drawn up for her from his desk.

          Belle reluctantly took the contract from him and read aloud. "I, Belle French, do hereby agree to the following:

          … I agree to move into the home of Mr. R. Gold in the capacity of housekeeper, effective immediately.

          … I agree to quit my jobs at both _Granny's Diner_ and _Game of Thorns_ , effective immediately.

          "How the hell am I supposed to pay you back if I can't work?"

          He waved a hand as if it were of no consequence to him. "Continue reading, dearie."

          … I agree as housekeeper to be available for any and all needs of the master of the house. (Does not include any sexual favors)

          … I agree to not have contact with family or friends for the duration of the contract.

          Belle ground her teeth together. "I can't even see my father?"

          "Will he even notice you're gone?" he countered.

          … I agree to two kisses per day.  _What the hell is this?_

          "What do you mean two kisses per day?" she asked, outraged.

          "I would think someone with your intelligence would understand plain written English. It means, dearie, that you will kiss me before I leave for work in the morning and again before I retire for the evening," he said, willing his body to obey his command to remain still and unflinching. He could feel the beast caged within him snarling to get free … free to kick him repeatedly for only asking for two. True Love’s kiss would never work if he couldn’t somehow get her to fall in love with him again, after all. "Really, Miss French. I'm asking for very little. I don't see why you should object."

          "I am not believing this," she mumbled under her breath. She ignored him and returned to the contract.

          … I agree to spend Valentine's Day in any way my employer chooses.

          "Valentine's Day? Are you that desperate for a date?" she asked, casting him a scathing glance. She sighed heavily and lowered the contract to her lap. "I'm sorry. That was really rather mean of me."

          "It's alright, Miss French, I understand your reticence," he said softly, trying to hide the pain her statement caused. He knew she loved him. Her feelings were just buried under the guise of the curse. If she could fall in love with him as Rumpelstiltskin, he was certain she could fall in love with him as Mr. Gold. But it didn't make her scorn any easier for him to bear.

          "Do we have a deal?"

          "I have a question." He raised his brows in askance, waiting. "Why are you doing this? Why do you want to help me?"

          "Who says I am?" he countered, rising from the sofa to pour another cup of tea, giving her his back. He didn't need her trying to read the emotions which were so easily discernable on his face. She was far more perceptive than the average female and he didn't want her to discover his true motives.

          "You don't seem to be getting the better end of this deal. From what I know of you, it's very out of character. You are giving up a lot of money and all you ask in return is that I become your housekeeper," she explained, a note of wonder entering her voice.

          "Don't read anything into it, Miss French. I have my own reasons for doing this, reasons which will remain my own. Now, are you going to sign the contract, or shall I begin proceedings to transfer the flower shop into my possession?"

          Belle rose from the sofa and stalked over to the desk, snatching up the ball point pen he held out to her. "Fine," she hissed, signing her name in an elegant array of loops and swirls at the bottom of the contract. She left the contract on the desk and moved to the curtain to go home.

          "Where are you going, dearie?" he asked, not turning to look at her. He schooled his features into a bland mask, not wanting his face to betray the glee abounding freely and joyously in his soul.

          "I'm going home to pack, Mr. Gold. Or did you expect me to fulfill my duty naked?" she asked dryly, sarcasm dripping from her tone as a lone brow rose in challenge.

          "The contract stated," and he quoted, "immediately. You will not be returning home. Everything you could possibly want or need is already awaiting you in my home." He pointed to the phone on the desk. "You will now have a seat and make two phone calls. One will be to _Granny's_ telling her that you are resigning your position. The second will be to your father, explaining what has occurred. When you are done, we will leave so you can get settled in your new home." With that he left her alone, tears stinging her eyes and a look of hopelessness on her face which made his heart clench with sadness.

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle kept sneaking glances at Gold from the corner of her eye as he drove her through the streets of Storybrooke to the  _Game of Thorns_. She had refused to tell her father of her life-changing decision over the phone, insisting she be allowed to tell him in person. Moe French may have his problems, but he was still her father and he deserved to hear about the contract from her, not some random gossip-monger off the street.

          Gold was simply glorious in his wrath. She was used to seeing him cold and indifferent, never letting anything get to him and never _ever_ showing any emotion whatsoever to the people he terrorized. Now as he drove her home, his face was flushed with fury, his dark eyes more black than brown, a muscle ticking away in his jaw due to the way he was grinding his teeth together and his hands clenched, pale and bloodless on the steering wheel. He refused to look at her, refusing to take that wrath out upon her, for which she was extremely grateful.

          He stopped in front of the shop and turned the engine off, turning in his seat to face her. "Belle, please reconsider. This is not going to end well," he said, his eyes pleading with her to trust him and heed his advice. She had agreed to the contract, albeit reluctantly and he was ready to take her home. He wanted to protect her and shield her from anything which could harm her, yet here he was, placing her into the path of an abusive and destructive father. He was a bloody idiot!

          "I need to get my necklace, Gold. It's the only thing I have left of my mother and I'm not going to leave it here for him to find." She lowered her head and looked at her hands folded in her lap for want of something better to do. "And I have to tell him what I've done. He needs to know he doesn't have to worry about losing everything. It's the least I can do considering I'm not going to be able to work in the shop anymore."

          She just knew she wouldn't be able to meet his gaze and still hold on to her composure. He was being too nice, too understanding and it didn't sit well with her. She would have rathered the cold indifference she'd come to expect from him.

          Gold refused to feel guilty for taking her away from the misery her life had become. Moe French didn't deserve to have this wonderful, hard-working woman for his daughter. "Then at least let me go up with you. You don't have to do this alone." Belle shook her head in refusal and he sighed. "I'm going to order us something to eat from Granny's. I'll be back in thirty minutes."

          When she still didn't look at him, he gripped her chin lightly and forced her to meet his gaze. "Give me your phone," he ordered, ignoring the look of confusion she tossed his way. He took the phone from her trembling hands and programmed his number into her contact list, placing it on her speed dial in the first slot. "If you need me, do not hesitate to call. Do you understand me, Belle?"

          "Yes," was all she said as she quickly clambered from the car and opened the door to the shop with her key. Her father was well into his cups when she entered the flat and made her way directly to her bedroom.

          She laid on the chilled wooden floorboards and scooted under her bed. The loose board lifted easily under her familiar hands and she withdrew a small velvet drawstring bag from beneath, containing her mother's necklace. She scooted back out and stood, looking about the room to see if there was anything else she wished to bring with her. She didn't bother with her clothes.

          Gold had claimed an entire wardrobe containing anything she may need awaited her at her new home. Why he would go to such trouble was beyond her. He'd merely stated that if she was going to live in his home, she would not do so dressed in rags. She had to admit she couldn't remember the last time she'd bought anything for herself, including her clothes. There was nothing else she needed or wanted and the thought that she owned nothing of value made her sad. She flipped off the light in her room for the last time and made her way back to the kitchen.

          "Where have you been?" Moe yelled at her, his words slurring and the beer he was drinking splashing against the linoleum as he stumbled into the kitchen. "I had to work your entire shift and was unable to make the deliveries."

          Belle cleaned up the mess on the floor and took his beer from him, setting it down on the faded tablecloth covering the worn card table which served their kitchen. She coaxed him to sit down so she could talk to him with the table between them. She didn't want to be within striking distance should he not take the news favorably. "I went to see Mr. Gold, Papa," she began, striving for a cheerful tone. "I needed to see if I could get him to change his mind."

          It wasn't a lie. Of course, first she’d wanted to make sure he knew how angry she was. She cast her eyes down on the floor as she spoke, her voice soft. She knew better than anyone how to divert her father's more harmful outbursts.

          "Really? Did he change his mind?" he asked, hope coming to life on his swarthy features, and removing years from his visage.

          Belle smiled ruefully, a bitter laugh bubbling from her lips. "Well, I do have some good news," she assured him with false brightness. "He's going to forgive your loan and lower the rent by five hundred dollars."

          "That's wonderful, my girl. I didn't know my daughter was such a brilliant negotiator," he said proudly.

          "There's a catch, Papa. I won't be able to work in the shop any longer." She rushed ahead as she watched the smile slide from his face. "But now that you'll have more money, you can hire someone to take my place. With the rent lowered and not having to pay the loan, it will be easy to find someone to help out around the shop."

          "Why can't you work at the shop, Belle?"

          She squared her shoulders and hesitantly met his gaze, pleading with her eyes for him to understand. "Because, Papa, I'm going to be working for Mr. Gold. I'm going to be his housekeeper. That's my part of the deal."

          "No! I'll not have it. We'll find some other way to pay what we owe. I'll not have you working for that monster," he yelled, spittle hitting the tablecloth as his rage swelled and overflowed like a viscous poison.

          Belle shrank back in her chair, his wrath a palpable, tangible force which crept along her spine and sapped her courage. "It's already done. I'm going to be living with him and taking care of his home. I'll have my own room and barely have any contact with him. He keeps late hours and …"  _Smack!_  She cried out as the force of his blow knocked her from the chair onto the floor at his feet. How could she not have seen it coming? How could she not have seen him rising to his feet and lunging for her?

          The pain in her cheek made her dizzy, only one thought prevalent in her whirling and confused mind … run! He was rounding the table to reach for her and she froze, too terrified to move. She'd never seen him this angry and she knew if she didn't get away, he would seriously hurt her.

          "Papa, please!" she screamed helplessly, closing her eyes and trying to shield her head with her arms. But the blow never came. Instead of her screams filling the tiny flat, it was those of her father as he wailed in agony, the sound of bones crunching filling the air.

          Gold had turned around the moment he’d pulled up in front of the diner, knowing Belle shouldn't have to face her father alone. What if he'd been drinking and decided to take his anger out on her? No doubt, it wouldn't matter what she had agreed to would benefit the florist. French would only think Gold was taking advantage of her and she didn't have the sense to realize it. He would take it out on her and Gold couldn't stand by and do nothing to protect her.

          He'd returned as quickly as possible and made his way upstairs in time to hear Moe's hand connect with Belle's cheek, sending her to the floor with a scream of pain. He couldn't stop the red haze which blurred his vision. He just knew he had to protect her from more pain. Protect her now as he hadn't been able to protect her from Regina. He didn't know how many times his cane came in contact with the man lying unconscious now at his feet. It was Belle standing before him, screaming at him to stop, tears coursing down her face which brought him out of it.

          Belle grabbed his arm with one hand, lowering it to his side and cupped his cheek in her other. "Gold, stop. You're going to kill him," she begged, her voice a hoarse whisper due to her tears. "Please."

          He nuzzled his face into the palm of her hand, his own covering hers to keep her from pulling away. He dropped his cane to the cracked linoleum and brought his right hand up, his fingertips gently brushing the darkening flesh of her cheek. "He hurt you, Belle," he said, as if those four words were justification enough for his rash behavior. "You're mine now and I'll not let anyone hurt you ever again."

          And she knew every word he spoke was the truth. She was his, bound to him by contract and no one ever broke a deal with him. She was well and truly trapped by her own word, but what puzzled her was the fact that she wasn't sorry for making the deal with him. Deep down in some hidden region of her soul, she  _wanted_ to be his.

          She trembled as he pulled her gently into his embrace, her head coming to rest against his chest. She felt numb and cold and his arms felt warm and familiar around her, giving her the comfort she so desperately needed. No one had ever cared enough for her to protect her from her father. She hadn't realized how much she needed someone until that moment, and it frightened her.

          She couldn't let herself become accustomed to his arms, however. She had made a deal to be his housekeeper, not his lover, not his wife, and certainly not his friend. They'd been at odds for years. This deal wasn't going to be able to mend all the scorched bridges which lay in waste behind them.

          Gold closed his eyes as he stroked his long slender fingers through the silk of her hair. She was in his arms again, but for the wrong reasons and it made him want to beat her father a few more times with his cane. "Belle, did you get what you needed? Are you ready to go home?"

          Home. She forced herself to swallow around the lump in her throat. This flat had been her home for as long as she could remember, but the thought that she would be leaving it didn't make her sad and teary-eyed. No, the thought that she would be leaving brought forth a wealth of relief. Home was now with Gold, with the man who claimed he would protect her and keep her safe and well, and the sooner she accepted it, the better off she would be.

          Belle pushed away from him slightly, but he retained the arm he had around her shoulders, refusing to let her retreat too far. Her tears stained the front of his silk shirt and her running makeup had completely ruined his tie. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Gold. I think I may have ruined your clothes," she said hesitantly as she met his gaze, hoping he wouldn't be too terribly angry.

          "Dearie, it's just a shirt and tie. They can be replaced," he waved off her worry, offering her a half moon smile. "Come. Let's get you home and settled. We'll call the Sherriff so he can file a report and call an ambulance for your father."

          "But …"

          "No buts," he said firmly, leading her out of the flat, hopefully for the last time. If he had his way, which was usually the case, she'd never have to come back there again.

 

*.*.*

 

          Graham knocked on the front door of Gold's house just as the pawn broker settled an ice pack to Belle's bruised cheek. "Here, dearie, press this to your cheek and keep it there. It will help the swelling," he said, nodding to her as she did as he instructed. He left her sitting on a stool near the island in the center of his kitchen and went to answer the door.

          "Mr. Gold," the sheriff greeted, holding out a bag of takeout. "Granny said you ordered this and then didn't pick it up. Thought I would bring it along with me when the call came. She put it on your tab." He followed Gold into the foyer and down the hall into his kitchen. "Want to tell me what happened?"

          Gold went to the stove and removed the whistling kettle from the burner, pouring the boiling water into the ceramic teapot before meeting the sheriff's gaze. "I'll tell you what happened. Moe French is an abusive bastard who likes to use his daughter as a punching bag," he fumed, his voice hissing through his clenched teeth as he tried to contain his anger.

          Graham's eyes were sympathetic as they met Belle's. She removed the ice pack from her face and grimaced. "It's alright, Graham, I'm fine. Mr. Gold saved me before it got out of hand," she explained.

          "Miss French was curled up on the floor trying to protect herself when I arrived. If I hadn't gotten there in time, there's no telling what he would have done to her." Gold poured tea into a cup for Belle and added one sugar cube and a teaspoon of honey before handing it to her. Her eyes narrowed, wondering how he knew how she preferred her tea. He'd no doubt have to come up with an explanation later, one which didn't make him look like a stalker. "I, uh … I may have been a bit overzealous in my attempt to protect Miss French from her father."

          Graham declined the offer of tea and planted his hands on his slim hips, rocking back on his heels. "Well, considering he still hadn't gained consciousness when the paramedics arrived, I would have to agree. He may want to press charges against you, Mr. Gold."

          "Let him try. I was merely protecting Miss French," Gold insisted.

          "Belle, you really need to come down to the station to make a statement and we're going to need pictures of you for the file … to show the extent of your injuries," Graham said gently. Belle looked to Gold and shook her head adamantly.

          "I'm not pressing charges against my father," she stated firmly, her tone brooking no objection. She wasn't going anywhere and was prepared to fight anyone who thought to make her.

          Gold seemed to agree with her. "Sheriff, she's tired, she's been beaten, and she needs care. I will not subject her to hours at the police station when it's not in her best interests. Tomorrow I will bring her in at noon. Will that suffice?"

          Graham relented, but insisted he be allowed to take photos of her injured face with the camera on his phone. He bid them goodnight and left, leaving an awkward silence in his wake, neither Belle nor Gold knowing what to say. Finally, Gold spied the bag of food he'd ordered.

          "Are you hungry, Miss French?" he asked, digging into the bag and pulling out two turkey sandwiches and two Styrofoam containers of chicken noodle soup.

          Belle glared at him. "Don't start with that Miss French crap again, Gold. My name is Belle and it’s the only name I will be answering to. Got it?" she asked, taking up her spoon and dipping it into the bowl. She was starving and in no mood to wage a battle of the names with him. She was Belle and he was Gold. Not Mr. Gold, just Gold until such time as he decided to be pleasant - if he even knew how - and tell her his first name. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to wait too long.

          "Very well … Belle," he muttered softly, his accent thickening and sending warmth spreading through her limbs. She returned the smile he offered and then concentrated her attention on her soup.

          With her stomach full for the first time in days, she sat patiently, pressing the ice pack to her face at his insistence and waited for him to finish his dinner. She looked around the spacious kitchen and sighed with pleasure. She loved to cook, she just never had the time to indulge in creating fancy dishes. She was always too busy working. She scooted off the stool and opened the refrigerator, a grimace passing over her face at the barren space. She closed it and moved to the large walk-in pantry, groaning.

          "What is it you think I'm going to be able to cook for you tomorrow with an empty kitchen, Gold?" she asked, hands on her hips as she stared at him indignantly.

          "Uh … well … I suppose after your visit to the station tomorrow we can stop at the market and buy groceries," he offered with a sheepish grin, surprised at her temerity to question him. She never had been frightened of him, in either realm. "Does that meet with your approval?"

          She grinned at him, any shyness she'd felt earlier, now completely out the window. "Let's just hope I don't get hungry and want a midnight snack."

          "Cheeky wench," he chuckled, enjoying their banter. For the first time in years, he was happy to be in his home. In the short hour she'd been there, she'd already spread warmth and light into his cold home.

          He led her upstairs to show her to her room, promising that tomorrow he would give her a tour of the rest of the large Victorian mansion. He would also give her a list of her duties. For now, he just wanted her to get comfortable and rest. So much had changed in such a short time, he knew she would need time to adjust.

          Her room took her breath away when he opened the door and flipped on the light. She immediately made her way to the bed and flopped down on it, squealing with delight at the size and comfort of the large four-poster. She'd never laid on anything so plush, the down mattress, mounds of pillows and thick comforter more than anything she'd ever hoped to own.

          There was a nightstand on either side of the bed, both holding an antique lamp, one with a digital alarm clock. There was a dresser and mirror and a beautiful bay window with a cushioned seat which would be perfect to curl up on with a book. "Aren't you going to take a peek in your closet?" he asked from where he stood at the threshold. He refused to enter her private space without her express permission.

          Belle was reluctant to pry herself away from the bed draped in blue and ivory comfort, but she could see how much he was anticipating her reaction to her closet. She had to stifle a cry of surprise as she flipped on the light. There were dresses and slacks, lovely tops and shoes, belts and bags and underthings and lingerie. She quirked a brow at the lingerie, wondering if he'd personally picked them out.

          "Are you pleased?" he asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

          "You didn't have to do this, Gold. I was expecting a maid's uniform at the very least."

          His gaze dropped to his feet. She deserved everything he was able to give her, yet she didn't think she was worthy of it. She was so used to living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make the rent, make the loan payment, buy food and take care of her worthless father, she didn't think she deserved nice things. He was going to kill Regina and he was going to _enjoy_ it! He schooled his features into a mask of indifference and waved off her concern.

          "I'll not have you traipsing around in rags or an ugly polyester uniform. You may be my housekeeper now, but this is to be your home as well and I want you to be happy here." He was rewarded by a blush which crept up her neck to settle in the apples of her cheeks. He pointed to a door to her right. "The key in that door is yours."

          Her brow creased as she walked over to it and opened the door. "Gold, I can't take this room. It belongs to the lady of the house," she cried in alarm. The door led directly into his bedroom which adjoined hers.

          "As I said, dearie. That key is yours. It is also the only one to fit that lock. You're perfectly safe." He pointed to another door. "That door leads into the bathroom which lies between the two bedrooms. Just make sure when you want to use it, you lock the door on both sides to ensure your privacy."

          Belle stood awkwardly in the center of the room, fidgeting nervously as she watched him from beneath her lashes. "Thank you."

          "For what?" he asked, puzzled.

          "Everything. For saving me, for this room …" she whispered brokenly, her words trailing off into the ether, unsure of how to express her deep feelings and praying he would leave her soon before the tears once more claimed her.

          Gold took the step back which would bring him out into the hall, suddenly nervous. "Well, I'll leave you to it then, Miss … Belle. Goodnight." He turned to leave and then stopped as she called out to him.

          "Wait!"

          "What is it?" he asked, alarmed slightly by her tone.

          Belle moved to stand before him, her blush deepening. "You forgot your kiss, Gold. Two kisses per day, remember?" She was terrified of having to hold up this end of the bargain, but she was determined to follow the contract down to the last letter. She wouldn't give him any excuse to send her away. She couldn't return to her previous life, drowning in debt and living under the thumb of her father.

          Gods! What had he been thinking when he’d added that little stipulation to the contract? And why was she suddenly so eager to fulfill it? "Ah … you don't, uh …"

          She didn't give him a chance to change his mind, stepping forward and cupping his face in her hands. He was frozen in place as though he were carved in stone and it made her frown. She wasn't experienced with kissing. She wasn't experienced with anything pertaining to a sexual nature. In school, she'd been more concerned with her studies than dating and now she was going to have to suffer through this awkward moment to hold up her end of the bargain. She just hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed. She brushed the hair away from his eyes and he leaned slightly into her palm, nuzzling it gently.

          Her heart sped and her breathing quickened, a warmth she was unfamiliar with pooling low in her belly. "I'm afraid I'm not very good with this. I've never really …" She cringed and looked away. "I don't want to disappoint you."

          "Not possible," Gold murmured, the deep timbre of his voice rough and passionate. He tipped her chin up and dropped his gaze to her mouth, not touching her in any other way. He already felt as if his blood was on fire. Anymore and he'd spontaneously combust. It was her turn to be stiff with nerves, every one of them telling her to run. "Relax, Belle."

          "I don't …" But whatever protests she was going to utter, died a quick death as he closed the distance between them and brushed his lips to hers, softly at first and then with gentle pressure. His lips molded perfectly to hers and she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling. And all too soon he pulled away.

          "Goodnight, my Belle," he whispered, and Belle watched him walk the short distance to his room before closing her own door and leaning heavily against it, wondering what exactly she had gotten herself into.

 

 

 **A/N:** Hope everyone enjoyed this first chapter. Please let me know your thoughts good or bad. All of you who have reviewed for me before know how much I appreciate comments and feedback. Love to you all. Thank you so much for reading!!

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, faved or followed. I've sort of played around with the timeline and the characters to get everything to fit with where I'm going with the story. Sorry it's not canon perfect, but I hope you enjoy it, nevertheless. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Enjoy!

          A sharp pain in her bruised face brought Belle out of a sound sleep with a small cry, causing her to wince and sit up in the bed. She took in her surroundings and smiled. No, it hadn't been a dream. She really was in Gold's pink mansion on the edge of the forest, her position secure as his new housekeeper. She groaned as she rotated her neck, hoping to release some of the tension there.

          She felt as though she hadn't slept at all and rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the grit of sleep so she could focus. The clock on the nightstand read eight thirty and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out in frustration. First day on the job and she was still lying abed.  _Useless, Belle. Completely and utterly useless. He's going to send you away because you can't follow simple rules._

          Belle flung herself out of the bed and tried the knob on the bathroom door, relieved it wasn't locked. She showered quickly, losing herself under the delicious spray of hot water. Her mind turned to the kiss she'd shared with Gold the night before. That was the part of the contract she had feared the most. She wasn't stupid. She knew what kissing could lead to. She'd read enough over the years to know a kiss could quickly escalate into heat and passion and mind-blowing sex. She couldn't allow herself to feel that way about Mr. Gold. She couldn't cross that line between employer and servant, not with a few kisses.

          For years, she'd hated him, and she couldn't fathom the reason why. It could be as simple as her father's intense dislike for the man carrying over to her until she shared his feelings. And what about Gold? He'd always treated her with either cold disdain or sarcastic intolerance. What had brought about the change in his own feelings and why had he felt like that to begin with? Yet yesterday, he had cared enough to save her from her father's abuse, but that could just be because he didn't want his new property damaged.

          That's all she really was to him, wasn't she? His new acquisition? Then why had it felt so incredibly nice to have his lips pressed to hers? She pushed the thought aside before she could dwell on it any longer. It was her first day and she had not one, but two kisses ahead of her. The thought of kissing him again just wasn't as easy to banish as she'd thought as she turned off the shower and stepped out, listening for a moment for any sound from his side of the bathroom door. She didn't dawdle, going through her morning routine and then returning to her room.

          She chose a brown shift dress with a light blue trim around the square neckline and a blue leather belt which matched perfectly, finally slipping her feet into a pair of brown flats. She knew she'd never worn something of such fine quality, and she hated the thought of having to clean the house in something so nice. But this is what he had chosen for her, so who was she to complain. She pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail at her nape and left her room to see if she could scrounge something for breakfast, knowing the offerings downstairs would be pretty slim. But she stopped with her foot on the top stair.

          Belle knew the noise she heard couldn't be Gold because when she'd pressed her ear to his door, she could hear him snoring. But the unmistakable sound of someone rummaging around downstairs in the kitchen was clear and she felt a shudder of fear race down her spine. She backed away from the stairs silently, slipping her feet out of her shoes and leaving them there on the landing as she padded silently but quickly in the direction of Gold's bedroom, praying he'd left his door unlocked. She knew it was wrong to invade his private domain, but this was an emergency. An intruder in his home was a definite cause to disturb him.

          She crept into the dark recesses of his lair; yes, _lair_. It was the only term she could use to describe the bedroom of the beast of Storybrooke and it made her want to laugh at the thought. She bit back the hysteria threatening to spill forth from her lips and made her way to the far side of the bed. He really shouldn't be sleeping on his back if he was going to make such a god-awful noise. She put her hand to his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake.

          "Gold," she hissed urgently, wanting to kick herself for the fear evident in her voice. Now was not the time to be a squeamish miss. "Gold!" She shook him again. In the dim light filtering from beneath the drapes, she could see him clearly, his hair tousled, his features soft and relaxed, and his lips parted.  _Focus, Belle!_  "Gold, wake up, damnit!" she lost her temper amidst the panic, shaking roughly this time.

          Gold's eyes flickered open slowly, his mind fogged with sleep … or lack thereof considering that thoughts of Belle sleeping in the next room had kept him awake most of the night. The thought of her nestled safely in his home, mere feet away - so near, yet so far - was just agonizing.

          He propped himself on an elbow and glanced down at his beloved crouched down beside the bed as if the mattress and bed frame were somehow her only protection. The sight of her panicked cerulean eyes helped to clear his head.

          "What? What's wrong?"

          Her hand slid down from his shoulder to twist into the silk sleeve of his pajama top. "There's someone downstairs," she whispered fearfully, and he had to bite his tongue to stop from grinning at her like a deranged fool.

          "Belle, did you check to see who it was?"

          She gaped at him as if he'd taken leave of his senses. "Are you insane? I'm not going down there if there's a burglar in the house!" she retorted indignantly.

          He just knew she was going to whack him with his cane over this. "Belle, it's probably Dove with the groceries I called him about. I asked him to do our shopping for us this morning so you wouldn't wake up with no food in the house."

          "You could have warned me," she said, slightly miffed, yet not quite ready to resort to violence.

          He lifted his hand to brush his fingertips along her cheek. "Besides, I didn't think you'd want to go shopping with me, sporting such a spectacular bruise."

          "More like  _you_  didn't want to go shopping with  _me_  because you know everyone would think you gave it to me," she teased, her lips turning up at the corners. She lowered her gaze and took his hand in hers, replacing it on the bed as she rose to her feet. "Are you going in to work today or are you taking the day off?"

          "It's Sunday. I don't open the shop on Sunday."

          "Well, try to go back to sleep. You have circles under your eyes and that just won't do," she said with an imperious air. He raised a brow at her for her audacity. "I'll have breakfast ready soon," she murmured, a blush rising in her face, and moved to the door.

          "No more dry toast, I hope," he called after her.

          She stopped at the door to peer at him over her shoulder, her bottom lip caught playfully between her teeth. "You'll just have to wait and see."

          Gold watched her skip out the door and groaned as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He glanced down and grimaced. He was already hard for her and she hadn't even kissed him yet. This deal was going to be the death of him. He could only hope her memory returned soon if at all and decided to add something new to his morning ritual … a cold shower.

 

*.*.*

 

          Gold could hear it the moment he stepped out of his bedroom. It was blaring and raucous and grated heavily on his nerves. By the time he reached the kitchen, his head was pounding, and his good mood had receded into nothingness. However, the sight of his darling Belle dancing around the kitchen, her feet tapping and hips twitching in time to the music as she moved around the counters and stove preparing breakfast cleared every last thought from his head save one … how much he wanted to take her upstairs and have her ten ways from Sunday.

          He ground his teeth together and groaned. Thirty minutes under the icy spray of the shower had been for naught and he sat down quickly at the kitchen table before she turned and noticed the evidence of his desire for her. "What is that god-awful noise, Miss French?" he asked, irritation evident in his tone and the firm set of his jaw. He was this close to covering his ears with his hands. She ignored him. Trying several more times to get her attention and failing, he rose from the table and pulled the plug on the radio which sat innocently on the counter. She merely raised her brows in the face of his anger, still refusing to answer him.

          "Belle!"

          "Finally," she grinned smugly. "I'll have you trained in no time."

          "What?"

          She waved the spatula under his nose as if she were trying to explain something to a five-year-old. "I told you last night I was not going to answer you if you called me Miss French," she said, wrinkling her nose at him. "And I'm sorry if the music was too loud." She filled a glass with orange juice and poured tea into his cup and shooed him back towards the table. "Go. Sit. Breakfast is ready."

          He was so thrown by her bossiness, he didn't even ask what she had prepared. He resumed his seat and opened the paper she had placed on the table for his perusal, anything to distract him from his carnal thoughts. She set his tea and juice on the table before him and turned to retrieve his plate, but he was confused when she didn't sit down next to him with her own breakfast. "Aren't you going to join me?"

          Belle could feel the heat of an embarrassed blush rising in her face. "I, uh … I didn't think you'd want to eat with the help."

          Gold bit the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing. Their previous relationship of antagonizing each other for the past twenty-eight years was damaging to his present plans and his fingers itched to slip around Regina's pale throat and choke the life out of her. His features softened as he gazed at Belle and he could see her visibly relax. "I would very much like for you to join me, dearie."

          He waited until she settled herself at the table before glancing down at his plate. The French toast and crisp bacon he'd wanted yesterday morning at the diner sat on the fine china plate and the smell made his stomach growl with anticipation and hunger. Belle hid her smile behind her napkin as she watched him from the corner of her eye. "Is everything satisfactory, Mr. Gold?"

          Belle knew the food was good, but the look of absolute delight on his face made her happy, nonetheless. "You know good and well that it's delicious," he said as he poured just a bit more syrup over the already sweet toast.

          "Thank you," she replied graciously, sipping from her own tea cup. "Um, why don't you … ah … tell me what you expect from me as your housekeeper," she suggested, trying to move the conversation along. Otherwise she was going to continue to sit there and think of kissing him. She was beginning to think she was obsessed with the idea.

          "Nothing to strenuous, Belle. Simple housekeeping just as you did before coming to live with me. Frankly, I don't care what you do with the house as long as you continue to cook like this," he said appreciatively, meaning it as a compliment. He had forgotten how much he had enjoyed her culinary skills at the Dark Castle.

          He remembered how surprised he had been that the little princess had possessed any knowledge of cooking at all, much less do it so well. She'd very much enjoyed rubbing that in his face the first time he'd asked her to cook for him and thinking she would burn the kitchen to the ground.

          She eyed him warily. "I still think I'm getting the better end of this deal."

          "I don't know about that," he said softly, his accent thick. "I have the pleasure of your company and I don't have to eat out anymore."

          He would have said more if her phone hadn't broken the peaceful silence which had fallen with his last statement. She grimaced and looked down at the phone she withdrew from the pocket on her dress. "Sorry. It's probably Ruby again. I've been sending her calls to voicemail this morning. I don't want to violate the terms of our contract," she said, and she couldn't quite keep the edge of bitterness from her tone.

          But it wasn't Ruby. "It's the hospital," she frowned, pressing the answer button and pressing it to her ear. "Hello … yes … yes … I don't know …"

          Gold took the phone from her. "This is Mr. Gold … yes I understand … if there are concerns, you will notify me and leave Miss French in peace … thank you, doctor … goodbye."

          He handed the phone back to her and pushed his empty plate to the side. She bit her bottom lip, hesitant to ask what the doctor had said, but her curiosity won out. "What did Dr. Whale have to say about Papa?"

          "Nothing for you to worry over, dearie. He said your father has a mild concussion, a dislocated shoulder and a broken radius but he should be back on his feet within a few days. He was also concerned about your father's lack of insurance. Since his injuries are my fault, I assured Whale I would take care of the bill."

          Belle simply nodded and began collecting their plates to stack in the dishwasher. She didn't say anything else, leaving him at the table to finish reading his paper as she busied herself with cleaning the kitchen. But her mind was in turmoil as she thought about her father. If it wasn't for Gold offering to cover her father's medical expenses, she would have had to find some way to help Moe pay for them. It didn't matter that she had begun a new life, he was still her father and she felt as though she was still responsible for him. Would she never be free? She couldn't help the tears which sprang to her eyes or hide the loud sniff.

          Gold was at her side in an instant, offering her his handkerchief this time instead of the front of his silk shirt. "Hey," he said, cupping her face in his hands. "Are you alright?"

          "Fine, I guess. I'm just not used to anyone taking care of me," she replied as she wiped away her tears. "I've never really even had anyone to confide in besides Ruby and now I don't even have her."

          He released his hold on her face and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. Now he felt like an ass for taking her friend away from her. "Perhaps I was a bit rash when I said you couldn't see your family and friends." She finally lifted her gaze to stare at him, a puzzled frown creasing her brow. "I have reason to keep you away from your father, but I don't see why you can't have Ruby visit you here. And perhaps you can see her at the diner in your free time," he relented, bending enough to give her at least that. "I don't want you to feel like a prisoner here."

          "Really, you mean it?" she asked hopefully. When he nodded, she couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. It took a moment for the shock to wear off, but when it did and the feeling returned to his limbs, he wound his arms around her waist, reveling in the feeling of her body pressed so tightly to his, her floral scent wrapping around his senses and leaving him in a pleasant haze of contentment. She slowly let her hands slide from around his neck to come to rest on his chest, stunned by her own boldness. "I'm … I'm so sorry … I didn't …"

          "You didn't do anything for which you need to apologize, Belle," he said, struggling to keep his voice even, afraid it would betray the wealth of emotion sparking through his entire being.

          She was drowning in the deep pools of his eyes and she could feel the heat radiating from his body sink into her own. The butterflies in her stomach took to flight as she realized just how intimate was their embrace. "Mr. Gold?"

          "Hmm?"

          "You said I have to give you a kiss before you leave for work in the mornings," she breathed, her voice failing her slightly and coming out in a faltering whisper.

          "I did," he nodded, trying to focus on anything but her perfect rosebud mouth which seemed to be beckoning him closer.

          She steadily closed the distance between them, their noses nearly touching before she halted, unsure if she was doing the right thing. "You …ah … you aren't going to work today."

          His breath fanned against her lips and the breath hitched in her chest, making her wonder why the room was beginning to spin. She twisted her fingers in the lapels of his jacket to ground herself as his fingers tightened about her hips. "I still get two, don't I?" he asked, refusing to budge that last inch until he had her permission.

          "Yes," she breathed, closing her eyes and moving forward to meet his lips with her own. This kiss was different from the first they'd shared the previous night. This time she was standing in the circle of his arms, her body pressed flush against his. Where last time, he had been stiff as a statue, now he was yielding as he held her gently, his body molded to hers. Yet he didn't dare move, letting her have complete control and letting her take it as far as she wished.

          His lips were soft beneath hers as she pressed her lips to his, brushing softly and then with more pressure. She could feel the heat pooling in her belly and a delicious pressure she didn't quite understand, but was fully willing to explore further. She wanted more, needed more, but in her inexperience, she didn't have a clue how to go after it.

          Her hand rose from his chest to delve into the hair at his nape and he had to fight his baser urges not to crush her to him. She whimpered in frustration at her own lack of knowledge and pulled away, hiding her face against his neck.

          Gold smoothed his hand over her hair and held her to him. "What's the matter, dearest," he whispered brokenly, letting the endearment slip from his lips without a thought to how it would sound to her.

          "I don't know how to do this, Gold. I don't understand why you want me to kiss you, but it’s part of the contract and I'm willing to do it, but I don't know what you expect and …"

          Why? He couldn't just blurt out that he was madly and insanely in love with her. She'd think him insane and run screaming from the house. "Perhaps I just like to have a kiss from a beautiful woman. It doesn't matter that you have no experience. It's enough that you accept me despite your fear and loathing of who I am," he said lamely. But instead of making fun of him and teasing him or ridiculing him, she chuckled softly and leaned back in his arms to smile up at him.

          "I don't hate you and I'm not afraid of you," she insisted. "I have gained so much through this deal and you so very little. I don't want you to be unhappy because I can't kiss you properly."

          He was already kicking himself and the words hadn’t yet left his mouth. “Then tonight, why don’t you let _me_ kiss _you_ instead of _you_ kissing _me?_ Would that set your mind at ease?” _Stupid, stupid, stupid! You’re going to frighten her, you beast._

          "I think that would be best," she agreed, smiling shyly as she stepped out of his arms. She wanted him to kiss her now, and damn the contract. The very thought frightened her and made her wonder if she hadn't already gotten in way over her head.

 

*.*.*

 

          Gold gave her a quick tour of the house and then promptly locked himself in the library, the one room he hadn't shared with her yet. He needed to spin, to lose himself as he worked at the wheel. He thought he'd been so clever making this deal with her. He'd only meant to get her away from her abusive father, to have her safe and protected under his own roof. But who in the blue blazes was going to protect her from him? It hadn't even been twenty-four hours since she'd signed the contract and he was already thinking of ways to lure her into his bed. What everyone said about him was true … he really was a monster.

          Belle sat at the center island in the kitchen where she'd shared the evening meal with Gold the previous day and wondered for the umpteenth time why he had wanted to make a deal with her. His house was clean and there was little for her to do, thanks to his previous cleaning lady who came three times a week. He'd of course had to let the woman go this morning, explaining he was no longer in need of her services. Her phone saved her from her ponderings, and she smiled at the caller ID on the display.

          "Hey, Rubes, how …"

          "Where the hell are you, Belles? Granny told me you quit. Why did you quit? What's going on? I heard Mr. Gold beat the crap out of your father and put him in the hospital …"

          "Ruby! If you slow down a minute, I might be able to answer your gazillion questions," Belle huffed, trying to get a word in over her rather excited friend.

          "Where are you? Please tell me you're not with Gold."

          Belle could hear a gagging sound on the other end of the line. "Yes, I'm with Gold."

          "…"

          "Ruby?"

          "…"

          "Ruby, that's not funny. Say something."

          "The men in the little white coats are going to come and take you away," Ruby warned in a low ominous tone which creeped Belle out. "Because you have seriously lost your mind, Belles!" and then she was back to screeching.

          Belle bit her lip and rolled her eyes. "I made a deal with him."

          "Yep. Bellevue bound, honey."

          "…"

          "I'm sorry, Belles. You want to tell me what happened?" Ruby asked, switching tactics to get some answers.

          "He told me he would lower the rent and forgive my father's loan if I would agree to live in his home and be his housekeeper," Belle explained.

          "Oh. My. God." Ruby choked, making each word drag out into its own sentence. "Please tell me you're not having sex with him. I just don't think I could bear the mental … damn, and there it is. I need to go scrub my eyeballs with bleach and then I don't think it will erase that picture completely. I'm going to have nightmares. I'm going …"

          "Would you please be serious? I'm not sleeping with him, Ruby," she hissed into the phone, hoping Gold wasn't lurking about to overhear.

          "What about your dad? What does he think about all this?"

          "He uh … he didn't take it well," Belle said, her voice lowering in shame for her father and his actions.

          "Did he hit you again?!"

          "Yeah and if Gold hadn't come in and stopped him when he did, I would probably be the one in the hospital," Belle sniffled discreetly, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

          "Serves him right," Ruby sneered with a hint of indignation coloring her tone. "Did Gold beat him with his fists or the  _cane_   _of_   _doom_?"

          "Ruby! Seriously?"

          "Come on, I wanna know."

          "Cane."

          "Awesome!"

          "You're awful."

          "I know. So … is your dad going to press charges against Gold?" Ruby asked. In the background Belle could hear Granny yelling at Ruby to get off the phone and get back to work.

          "Doubtful. If he tries, I'll threaten to press charges against him for hitting me. But I don't feel like talking about it anymore and I know you need to get back to work, so just call me tonight or come by and we'll talk."

          "You want me to come to Gold's?" came Ruby's astonished whisper.

          "He said you could visit me here whenever you like. He's really not as bad as everyone makes him out to be, Ruby. He's … nice," Belle said in his defense. She realized it was the truth. He'd been nothing but good to her since she'd signed the contract.

          "What color do straightjackets come in? I think we'll get you a pretty blue one."

          "Bye, Rubes."

          "Later, looney … and, Belles?"

          "Yeah?" she asked, trying not to let the hurt in her voice be heard over the phone.

          "Love you."

 

*.*.*

 

          Gold had driven Belle to the police station to make her statement and had been assured Moe French would not be pressing charges, thanks to Graham talking him out of it. She'd given her statement as to what had happened that night in her flat and convinced the sheriff she was in no danger from her father as long as she was living with Gold, although that had taken a lot of quick talking on her part.

          "Belle, I'm asking you as a friend … are you certain this is something you want to do? Has Mr. Gold threatened you in any way? If he has something on you, I can protect you," Graham said, drawing her into his office and shutting the door so they could talk privately.

          Belle ground her teeth together. Would she forever be defending her actions to everyone she knew? "Graham, I made a deal with Mr. Gold and I don't have to tell anyone the details of our agreement. All you need to know is that I'm his new housekeeper. He hasn't threatened or coerced me, and he hasn't hurt me in any way."

          "And that could change in a heartbeat. Belle, he beat your father and sent him to the hospital," Graham insisted, trying to get the stubborn girl to see reason.

          Her face flushed angrily, but she forced her voice to remain calm. "Gold gave me a place to live where I don't have to constantly fear I'm going to anger someone and suffer their abuse. He gave me a job where I don't have to work my fingers to the bone to pay debts which don't even belong to me. And he treats me with respect, Graham."

          The Sheriff’s brows disappeared into his hairline in surprise at her defense of the one man in town everyone feared and hated. "I'm sorry, Belle. I just want to make sure you're going to be alright."

          Her hands unclenched at her sides and she picked up her purse from his desk, slinging the strap over her shoulder before she reached for the door knob. "Next time you want to accuse him of nefarious deeds, you might want to look at the man – the very man who _saved_ me - instead of listening to what other people in this town think of him. God knows I had the same opinion until I took a closer look, but I thought you were better than that."

          Belle had marched out of the station in a haze of fury, not stopping until Gold finally caught up with her and jerked her to a stop. "Belle, what's wrong? What did he say to you, dear?"

          "It doesn't matter, Gold. Just take me home." That was the last she'd spoken to him and he was ready to drive back down to the station and beat some sense into the sheriff to make certain he never upset her again.

 

*.*.*

 

          Dinner that night was a silent affair. She was still angry, and Gold was afraid to say anything which might further cause her upset. This was not how he'd imagined their life to be together. She'd vacuumed the entire first floor, dusted and only broken one trinket in her mad dash through the house, constantly mumbling under her breath about thick-headed men and their notions of butting into other people's business. He'd retreated to the library to let her work out her anger on the furniture.

          Now, dinner over and a fresh pot of tea steeping away, he still couldn't think of a thing to divert her present mood to a happier place. "Belle, would you please talk to me? Have I done something to upset you?"

          Belle's features softened as she met his gaze, instantly contrite. "No, of course not."

          Gold turned the dishwasher on and gave her a relieved smile. "Come. Bring the tea tray and come with me," he coaxed, a mysterious air coloring his tone.

          "Where are we going?"

          He didn't answer her as she picked up the tray and followed him out of the kitchen and down the hall to the double doors he usually kept locked. They were standing open, and she couldn't help but gape at the sight before her. He took the tray from her and set it on the low coffee table before she became too distracted and dropped it. She turned in a circle, her eyes taking in everything, her lips parted on a gasp of surprise.

          Shelves lined the walls in the room and the gallery above, lined with more books than she'd ever seen in one place. Two stories of books and he had decided to share it with her. Chairs and a sofa were arranged before a great stone hearth, a cheery blaze beckoning her to find a tome and settle before it. A table to her right was covered in maps and open volumes depicting travel and a spiral staircase was to her left leading to the floor above. Her gaze was drawn to him as he moved to stand beside an old antique spinning wheel. He'd gravitated toward it to give her time to herself to enjoy the sight before her.

          "I take it you like what you see, hmm?" Gold asked softly, a faint smile on his lips as he ran his hand over the wheel as a way to keep his hands from fidgeting.

          She tore her eyes away from the shelf she'd begun to peruse and flashed him a brilliant smile. "It's amazing. I've never seen so many books in one place before. At least not here in Storybrooke."

          "I ah … I thought this might give you something to do after you've finished with your duties. And perhaps … if you are amenable, of course … you could read aloud sometime?" he asked, trying not to let her see how much it would mean to him if she would. It was one of his most cherished memories of her from their time together, her sitting next to him before the fire in the great hall of his castle, her voice soothing him as she read.

          The anger - which had been with her all day - died a quick death to be replaced by true happiness. "I think I'd like that, Gold. Very much." Her heart fluttered in her chest and beat a wild tattoo against her ribcage as he smiled warmly.

          Gold was surprised to find her taking his hand and pulling him over to the sofa. "I didn't mean you had to do it now," he amended quickly as she pushed him down on the cushions and took his cane from him to set on the floor beside the sofa.

          Belle knelt at his feet and began to pour tea into their cups. "No time like the present," she chirped with a cheeky grin, handing him a cup. "Is there a favorite you would like to hear?"

          "I would rather you read one of  _your_  favorites, dearie." He wondered if her tastes had changed with the onset of her cursed memories and was pleasantly surprised when she returned with the one tome she'd read many times to him before.

          "I know you may think this a little corny, but this has always been one of my favorites," she said, settling next to him on the sofa and showing him the cover.  _King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table._

          "Not at all, Belle. I'm certain it's a fascinating tale," he assured her, his voice ringing with sincerity. And then the imp in him reared his ugly head and threatened to destroy the comfort they'd gained with each other. "But you're going to have to sit close to me so I can follow along."

          Belle quirked a brow at him and narrowed her cerulean eyes. She doubted she'd be able to concentrate on what she was reading if she had to sit next to him, her hip pressed against his, his arm around her shoulders … It was all she could do to stop herself from bringing a hand up to fan her face and a blush stole into her cheeks at the mere thought. She couldn't understand the attraction she was developing for this man and it frightened her.  _Do the brave thing, Belle._

          "Okay," she murmured and sat down next to him, fighting to keep her voice steady as her heart took flight. He was so warm as she settled into his left side, his arm coming to rest along her shoulders and pull her close, his long slender spinner's fingers caressing her bare upper arm.

          "Is this alright?" he asked, and it made her feel better that he seemed to be just as nervous as she was.

          All she could do was nod, take a deep breath and open the book.

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle closed the book when she felt Gold's head drop to her shoulder. His breathing was deep and even and she knew he'd fallen asleep even without turning her head to look at him. She felt wound tighter than a bow string as she sat there with him, unable to relax. Her head was in a quandary over what to do with him. He was so different from the man she thought she'd known. He'd changed towards her, no one else, just her. Why the sudden interest in her? She was no one special. She was just Belle French, daughter of the town florist, waitress at the diner. What did he really want with her?

          She turned her head slowly to look at him. His features had softened with sleep, his hair falling over his eyes and his lips parted slightly. Those oh so kissable lips, she thought with a groan. He no longer looked like the stern unflappable business man who terrorized the town. In sleep, he just looked like an ordinary man, one deserving of happiness which had long since been denied him.

          What had possessed him to put the kissing clause in their contract? Could it be he was just lonely and yearned for companionship and human touch? Whatever his reasons, she was glad he'd done it. She was unmistakably drawn to him. Not just because he'd saved her, but because of who he was. She was just afraid to give in to her newfound feelings on the chance he didn't return them. She could just hope for the best and continue on the path laid out before them.

          Belle laid her book on the sofa beside her and hesitantly reached up to brush the hair away from his eyes so she could study him, the soft strands of his hair smooth as silk against her fingertips. She let her fingers trail along his face from temple to jaw, softly so as not to wake him, but her soft touch made him stir. The arm about her shoulders tightened and drew her closer to him as he burrowed into the side of her neck. Heat spread like a brush fire throughout her body and she found herself suddenly wishing she'd paid more attention to boys in high school. She had to be the only twenty-six-year-old virgin in all of Storybrooke.

          The sensations spreading and making her limbs heavy made her think about all the romance novels she'd read over the years and she found the emotions described in books had no true bearing on the real thing. She wasn't completely innocent in the fact she didn't know the mechanics. She knew what went where and that it would hurt the first time and what she was expected to feel, but she'd never really imagined such an innocent act as him holding her close would have such an effect on her. And the knowledge that she wanted more from him was making her dizzy. That wasn't what she'd signed up for. Two kisses per day, no more, no less.

          Then why was she sitting here wondering what it would feel like to have his lips pressed to more intimate parts of her body, to have his hands touch her, to see his eyes filled with the same emotions surely evident in her own?

          When he burrowed deeper and pressed his lips against the smooth column of her throat, his other arm snaking around her waist, she knew she'd have to wake him. Either that, or she was going to melt right into him and start something she wouldn't be able to finish. Her nerve endings were on fire, just as much as the blood racing through her veins and she felt her face flame as she lifted a hand to his face and patted his cheek to rouse him.

          "Gold? Gold, wake up," she said softly and felt him stir, his nose nuzzling against the before unknown sensitive spot below her right ear. She had to bite down on her lip … hard … to keep from moaning. "Mr. Gold, you really need to wake up." She moved her hand from his cheek to tug at the ends of his hair resting against his collar.

          Gold grunted softly and stiffened in her arms, taking stock of his limbs and how inappropriate it was to be draped across his new housekeeper as though she were a stuffed bear. He jerked upright, his nose inches from hers. "Oh, I'm so sorry, dearie," he apologized, pulling himself away from her.

          Belle immediately regretted the loss of his warmth. He looked so embarrassed and so uncomfortable, she reached out for his hand, taking it in her own, hoping the small gesture would soothe his discomfort. "You fell asleep. Are you just that tired or did I bore you?" she asked in a teasing tone, the sound coaxing a smile to his lips.

          "I haven't been sleeping well. I assure you my falling asleep had nothing to do with boredom."

          The smile remained on her lips. He looked nervous, like a kid getting caught with his hands elbow-deep in the cookie jar. Silence grew between them until Belle decided she'd had enough and rose to her feet. "Well, I will leave you to retire for the evening, Gold."

          He rose from the sofa and grabbed her hand to stop her. "Come, I'll walk up with you," he offered, pulling her towards the spiral staircase. They emerged on the landing several doors down from their bedrooms. Whatever drowsiness which remained with him, quickly left him as he stopped in front of her bedroom door. The thought of kissing her goodnight had his heart thundering in his chest and all thoughts of sleep fleeing to somewhere in the last realm.

          She knew he was waiting for her to step closer and press her lips to his, but he'd promised that tonight he would be the one to give her a proper kiss and she wasn't going to let him renege on that deal. He merely quirked a brow at her, a silent query to see if she would meet him halfway. Never one to back down from a challenge, she closed the distance between them and with gentle pressure to maintain her balance - because he did such damage to her fragile equilibrium - she placed her hands against his chest.

          He propped his cane against her bedroom door and slipped his hands around the back of her neck to rest on her nape, his thumbs rubbing gently in slow circles along her pulse points. "Are you certain, Belle?" he asked, waiting patiently with bated breath for her permission.

          Her eyes were heavily-lidded with desire, her pupils so dilated, only a thin ring of blue iris was visible. "I'm sure."

          Gold took a deep breath and rested his brow to hers, trying to reign in his desire for her. His sweet, innocent beloved. He didn't want to frighten her. "Relax, Belle," he murmured softly, his breath fanning her face.

          He had to remind himself to take his own advice. When he felt as though he'd calmed enough to keep from ravishing her, he tilted her head back and brushed his lips to hers, once, twice, before molding them to hers with a firm but gentle pressure. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips and nearly stumbled when she jerked away in surprise, but not too far, his hold on her keeping her firmly in place. "Do you want me to stop?"

          "You just startled me," she whispered against his lips. She drew in a deep shuddering breath before he felt her relax once more. "Show me."

          He smiled to mask his nervousness and began again, brushing, pressing, molding until he felt her literally melt into his chest, soft and warm and pliant against him before he ran his tongue once more against the seam of her lips. "Open for me, love."

          Belle gasped when his tongue slipped into her mouth to duel with hers. Never in her life had she ever felt anything like this as his tongue searched out every corner and crevice of her mouth which would bring her pleasure. Her hands fisted in the lapels of his jacket, pulling him closer.

          Gold shifted his weight to his right leg, hoping the pain would help clear his head from the white-hot lust coursing through his body. He withdrew slightly, nibbling softly on her bottom lip, his thumbs continuing to rub circles along her pulse points. All his hard-won restraint nearly crumbled to ash as a small whimper issued forth from her throat when he pulled away.

          "Breathe, Belle," he panted, equally affected, but unable to bite back the smug smile of satisfaction as he gazed down at her. Her face was flushed, her lips parted and swollen and her breath coming in short puffs. And it was because of him. He could have swept her off to his bedroom that very moment and she wouldn't have uttered one word of protest, but he wouldn't do that to his darling Belle. Not yet.

          Belle blinked rapidly, trying to make herself focus before she threw herself at him and embarrassed herself. "Well … ah … that wasn't what I was expecting," she said, smoothing his jacket where her grasping hands had wrinkled the fabric.

          His eyes were burning coals of want and need as he held her gaze. He trailed his fingertips along her jaw and fought the desire to pull her back in for another kiss. "Get some sleep, dearie. I'll see you in the morning," he murmured as he retrieved his cane and made his way to his room.

          Belle reached blindly behind her for the door knob, her eyes never leaving him as she stood trembling. "Goodnight, Gold."

          She waited until he entered his room and closed the door before she went into her own room and collapsed onto her bed. She had to bite her pillow to keep from screaming. She was breathing hard and felt as though she'd been set afire. But she knew one thing for certain. She wanted Gold and for much more than a mere two kisses a day. She wanted him to assuage the hunger he'd awakened inside her.

          Her head turned in the direction of the bathroom door as she heard the muffled sound of the shower come on. She bit down hard on her lip to keep from giggling when she heard Gold step under the icy spray and yelp from the cold. Seems she wasn't the only one affected by their kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is my favorite chapter so far! I really hope you all enjoy it. Thank you bunches to the fabulous Emilie Brown for previewing this chapter. *hugs friend and squeals with excitement*

          Belle dragged herself out of bed, casting an evil glare at the alarm clock, and into the bathroom to shower and begin her morning routine. This morning, she chose a pair of jeans and a royal blue tank top with a black button up over-shirt, not wanting to really have to think about her appearance. She was too exhausted, having spent another restless night.

          Ever since she'd moved in with Gold, she'd being having the strangest dreams. She'd say she'd been watching too many Disney animated movies about princesses, but she'd never seen anything in a Disney cartoon like the man who invaded her dreams. She tip-toed past Gold's room, not wanting to wake him. He'd sleep for at least another hour before his alarm woke him. She could already smell the aroma of fresh brewed coffee wafting up the stairs thanks to the automatic timer on the coffee maker. She definitely needed some caffeine this morning, preferably intravenously. It would be quicker.

          She poured herself a second cup of coffee and set about pulling ingredients for breakfast from the pantry, deciding on a hearty oatmeal spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar. It was about the simplest thing she could think of that she wouldn't mess up in her sleep-deprived state and it would hopefully keep Gold sated until lunchtime. It also gave her mind time to wander back to her dreams of the strange man from her dreams with his weathered grey-gold skin and flamboyant manner.

          He'd been sitting at a spinning wheel, much like the one Gold kept in the library and she'd been serving him tea in a long room with high ceilings and decorated with trophies set on pedestals along the walls. The room had such a familiar feeling, comforting when she realized it shouldn't have been. Her dream-self had feelings for this man, feelings of attraction and something deeper she couldn't quite understand. And for all his outward gestures of being a devious imp, deep down she could see the sadness lurking in his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking.

          She gave herself a mental shake as she left their breakfast on a low warming heat and moved to the counter to prepare Gold's coffee. There was really no use dwelling on a dream and distracting herself from what she had to do this morning. After all, it was just a dream.

          Belle glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. Gold should have been up by now if he wanted to be on time to open the shop. So, she picked up his coffee cup and mounted the stairs to his room … his lair, she thought with a giggle. Her beast. She stopped before his door, her hand hovering above the handle. When had she started thinking of him as hers?

          She lifted her hand and knocked, refusing to even analyze such disturbing thoughts before breakfast. She had enough to worry about without getting emotional this morning. She knocked again, still receiving no answer. She could hear the alarm beeping for several minutes and came to the conclusion that he was either dead or a really deep sleeper. Pushing the door open, she let her eyes adjust to the gloom before inching her way across the room to turn off the alarm and set his mug down on the bedside table.

          She laid her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. He snuffled softly into his pillow. Well, at least he was alive, she thought with a relieved sigh. "Gold, get up. You've slept right through your alarm and you're going to be late if you don't get your butt out of bed," she said, balling her hand into a fist to keep from brushing his hair away from his eyes so she could see his features more clearly. "Come on, Gold, get up."

          He pulled the pillow over his head and mumbled, "Five more minutes."

          She shook him again. "You've already had ten. Now get up."

          "Go away, dearie, and let me sleep."

          What was it with men being stubborn and not wanting to crawl out of bed in the mornings? Gold would hate to know he had something in common with her father. "Gold, your coffee is getting cold," she cooed sweetly, hoping the idea of caffeine would rouse him. Nope. He turned onto his other side so he was now facing away from her, completely ignoring her efforts.

 _Fine! Can't say I didn't warn him._  She moved to the end of the bed and drew the blanket back until his feet were exposed. She trailed her fingernails over the soles of his feet and watched him sit bolt upright in bed to glare at her, quickly pulling his feet out of her reach. She sat down beside him on the bed, her hip pressing into his, and handed him the mug she'd brought up for him.

          "You are an evil little nymph, Belle French," he grumbled over the rim of the mug as he scooted back against the headboard and took a sip.

          She merely tilted her head to one side and smiled at him. He looked incredibly sexy and non-threatening with his hair messy from sleep and the open collar of his pajama shirt opened to expose a bit of his chest. "Yeah, but you like me that way." He smiled softly and leaned his head back against the dark wood of the headboard once more, but it was strained, lines of pain forming around his mouth and at the corners of his eyes. "What's wrong, Gold? Are you alright?" she asked, her voice heavy with concern.

          "Nothing for you to worry over, sweetheart. If you wouldn't mind terribly, could you please fetch my pills from the medicine cabinet?" he asked, hating that she was so perceptive and had picked up on his pain. He didn't want her to see that he suffered with his leg, that he had a weakness.

          She returned to his side with his pills and handed them to him. "Do you mind me asking what they're for?"

          "One for inflammation, one for pain."

          Before he could stop her, she had thrown back the blankets and pulled his leg onto her lap, her delicate little fingers tracing the scars which marred the flesh of his ankle. He cringed at the thought of her having to look at the scar tissue, but it didn't seem to bother her. He read sympathy over the pain he suffered rather than seeing revulsion in her eyes. She plied her hands to his skin, gently massaging the twisted muscles and bringing him relief.

          No one had ever done him such a kindness, especially his wife. After their son had been born, she'd never wanted to have anything to do with him again, especially after he'd returned from the ogre war and been branded a coward. But then, no one had more love and compassion than his Belle. It was one of the many reasons he loved her.

          "Belle, you don't have to do that," he murmured quietly, trying to keep from flinching away from her touch.

          "I know, but I wanted to help." She tucked his leg back beneath the blankets and patted his knee. "I'll go and keep your breakfast warm for when you're ready."

          She took the empty mug from his hands and he watched her make her way to the door. He stopped her before she could close the door. "Belle?"

          "Hmm?"

          "Thank you," he replied, a humble note in his deep voice. She merely smiled and left him to dress in peace.

 

*.*.*

 

          Playing footsies with Gold had delayed Belle to the point where she was eating her breakfast at the same time as attending to her duties. At present, she was pretending not to watch Gold, packing up his lunch and stacking dishes in the dishwasher all the while stealing a bite of oatmeal between tasks.

          Gold hid behind his morning paper, stealing glances of her pretending not to watch him as he picked at his own breakfast. He was well aware of the fact her oatmeal was growing cold as she worked. "Belle, would you please sit down? I am quite sure the world isn't going to end if I don't open the shop on time."

          "I'm almost done," she muttered distractedly as she set his bag lunch on top of his briefcase where it rested innocuously on the kitchen table. She moved to the freezer and took stock of what was available to prepare for dinner that evening. "Gold, what would you like for dinner tonight?" Hopefully, she would be able to throw something in the slow cooker and spend most of the day in the library. Her fingers twitched at her side at the thought of burying her nose in his vast collection of books.

          "Whatever you like, dearie. I'm not too terribly picky."

          She cast him an incredulous look over her shoulder and retrieved a package of beef tips to make into a stew. "This from the same man who complains there are never enough pickles on his hamburger. The same man who takes said pickles and arranges them on his burger until there is an entire layer and you can't see the meat."

          Gold blinked at her, at a loss for probably the first time in his very long life. "I didn't realize you paid such close attention to how I liked my food," he said, his mouth twitching at the corners as he tried to bite back a smile.

          Belle busied herself wiping down her work surface and cursed silently as a blush stole into her face. "Yeah, well, who do you think talked Granny into charging you extra for the pickles?" Before he could say anything - and judging from the startled look on his face, he would - Belle picked up his briefcase and walked out of the kitchen to await him in the foyer.

          "What are you going to do with your day, dearie?" he asked as she helped him on with his coat and opened the door for him, lastly handing him his briefcase.

          Belle tilted her head to the side and thought for a moment. "I was thinking about working on the upstairs for a bit and then perhaps having a look at the garden, though I doubt there's much to do out there until spring. And then I thought maybe I'd read a little if I have time."

          She was fidgeting with the collar of his coat, steadily inching closer to kiss him goodbye. "Make time, my Belle. I don't expect you to work from dawn to dusk and not have any time for yourself. I want you to be happy here," he said softly as her hands wrapped around the nape of his neck and toyed with the ends of his hair.

          Belle let her lips press gently to his in a soft nibbling kiss, teasing him. "I am happy, Gold. Are you happy?"

          "Oh, yes. Very much so," he assured her, biting her bottom lip with the utmost care so as not to hurt her. His hands tightened around the handle of his cane and briefcase, wishing his hands weren't full so he could wrap his arms about her and haul her against his chest. He could feel her body yielding to him, her curves molding to his planes and he captured her moan in his mouth.

          "What the hell is this?!"

          Belle sprang away from Gold as if she'd been doused with scalding water, her eyes wide as they landed on Ruby standing in the open doorway. It didn't help that Gold raised a brow at her friend and let a smug smirk settle on his lips. Ruby grabbed Belle's hand and dragged her out onto the porch before her sharp tongue set to work.

          "I knew you were going to take advantage of her, you perv!" she railed at him, blocking Belle from his view.

          Belle bristled angrily. "Ruby, it's not what you think. I …"

          "No, Belles. The eyes don't lie. I don't care what kind of contract you signed, he's clearly taking advantage."

          "Ruby!"

          "Belle, dear, I'm going to let you visit with your friend. I'll be at the shop if you need me," he said, his voice heavy with the warmth he'd felt spreading through him from their kiss. He nodded to Ruby. "Good day, Miss Lucas."

          Belle grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her along behind her into the house, slamming the door a bit harder than she'd intended. Her face still bore a flush of anger as she rounded on her friend. Words failed her as Ruby stood there tapping her foot and waiting for answers. "Would you like something to drink?" she offered as she started down the hall to the kitchen.

          Ruby trailed behind her. "No, I'd like you to explain to me why Gold's tongue was in your mouth and you weren't looking for something to bash him over the head."

          Belle grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and stalked off towards the library, tight-lipped and agitated. She picked up the poker next to the hearth and prodded the slowly dying embers before throwing several logs onto them. She was deliberately ignoring Ruby and her freak-out session to give her time to think, her mind on Gold instead of her friend as she watched the logs catch and crackle merrily.

          Finally, when she thought she was calm enough, she took a seat on the sofa and faced Ruby, dragging a soft throw pillow to hug against her chest as if it would somehow protect her. Ruby scooted closer to Belle and took her hand in both of hers.

          "Belles, really, are you alright?" Ruby asked, her tone laced with worry and concern.

          "That's what no one seems to understand, Ruby. I can't remember a time in my life when I was more 'alright'. I'm happy for the first time in ever. I don't cringe when I hear Gold walking through the house, worrying he's going to get drunk and take out his anger on me. I don't have to work at the shop where I was literally a slave and I don't have to survive on tips from my job at the diner," she said, drawing her knees up against her chest, her tone little more than a whisper. The house felt cold and empty without Gold there. She missed the warmth he'd exuded last night when she'd curled up next to him on the sofa and read to him.

          Ruby didn't like the haunted look in Belle's blue eyes. She scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Belle, believe me. I'm thrilled you're no longer under your father's roof, but why couldn't you have come to me or Granny? We would have taken you in and helped you. You didn't have to come to Gold of all people."

          "Yes, I did. I know he manipulated me where I didn't have a choice, but the deal he made benefits me a lot more than it does him."

          "What did he offer you?"

          Belle unscrewed the cap from her water bottle and took a long drink. "He raised the rent and the rate on the loan for starters," she snorted. She may be having kinder feelings towards him at the moment, but that didn't change the fact that if it wasn't for him and his scheming, she wouldn't have had to make a deal with him. "He knew I wouldn't have a choice but to take what he offered."

          "Why didn't he make a deal with your father? Why did it have to be you? You're always running to your father's rescue. For once, he should have stood up for you," Ruby huffed, twisting a lock of Belle's hair around her finger absently.

          Belle snorted. "The male of the species tends to be selfish and concerned more for his own well-being … especially if that male happens to be Moe French."

          "So, Gold offered to take you in as his housekeeper," Ruby said matter-of-factly and wrinkled her nose with distaste. "But that still doesn't explain why you were kissing him, Belle. Full on, tongue, teeth, lips kissing!"

          "Ruby," Belle chided with a sigh of exasperation. "It's part of my contract."

          "What?! Are you having sex with that old lech?"

          "I have to give him two kisses per day, one before he goes to work and one before he goes to bed. Kisses, Ruby. I'm not having sex with him." Not that she hadn’t thought about it, but no. However, she couldn't tell her overprotective friend that.

          Ruby stared at her with wide-eyed disbelief. "Oh, come on, are you really trying to tell me he hasn't once tried to get you in the sack?"

          Belle cringed inwardly, already tired of defending her new boss … and yes, she had to admit - at least to herself - she saw him more as a friend now. "No, he hasn't. He treats me with respect, as though I actually matter. I think he's just lonely and wants someone here who he can talk to, share his life with and be his friend. He's starved for human contact."

          Ruby took in the soft warmth lighting Belle's face as she talked about Gold and looked at her friend as if she'd just escaped from the psych ward. "Oh. My. God! You are falling for him. Eww!"

          Belle swatted her with the pillow and cried, "Am not."

          "Oh, you so totally are. I know that look. That doe-eyed, dreamy expression and the tiny secret smile. You might be able to fool everyone else, but I know you better than that," Ruby declared confidently.

Belle spent the morning trying to convince Ruby that Gold wasn't the monster everyone made him out to be as Ruby trailed after her about the large house. She continued to make cracks about how Belle had been lured into the lair of the beast under false pretenses. Belle ignored her and put her dinner together in the slow cooker and went about her chores before showing Ruby her bedroom. Of course, Ruby went straight to the closet, gasping aloud as she took in Belle's new wardrobe.

          "Oh, yeah, he definitely wants something more from you than having you clean his toilets, Belle."

          "Ruby, will you just please let it go?" Belle pleaded, flopping down on her stomach on her bed. She was ready to be alone, tired of having Ruby disparage Belle's new life.

          Ruby emerged from the closet holding up a black lace camisole in front of her waitress uniform, her brow raised as if to say I-told-you-so. "Ahem. Did the pervert pick this out himself?"

          "That's it, Ruby. Get out of my lingerie and go to work. I've had enough of your teasing, enough of your innuendo and enough of you bashing Gold!" Belle shrieked, her face flushing angrily and her eyes flashing with menace.

          "Geez, Belles, I was only teasing," Ruby replied, her face falling. "I'm sorry. It's just going to take some getting used to, y'know?"

          "I know. You're forgiven."

 

*.*.*

 

          Ruby left Belle in better spirits than when she'd arrived. She couldn't believe her friend was actually developing feelings for Mr. Gold. Belle had always been soft-hearted and kind … far better than anyone in this town deserved. She was a doormat. The girl just didn't have it in her to say no. But she hated Gold. She'd never had any doubt as to Belle's dislike of the man. Now all of a sudden, he is her new best friend? She was used to strange events in Storybrooke, but this was right out of a science fiction movie. A shudder rippled through her.  _Pod people!_  No, more like the scheming of one Mr. R. Gold.

          Ruby had to pass by the pawn shop on her way to the diner for her shift and she was just furious enough to confront him, so she didn't hesitate to whip the door open and barge into the shop. She was surprised the little bell over the door didn't crash to the floor as the door slammed against the wall.

          "Miss Lucas," he drawled in that smarmy accent he normally tried to hide, making her grind her teeth. "What can I do for you today?"

          Ruby, always one to laugh in the face of danger, marched up to the counter and narrowed her eyes on him, nearly snarling. "You can let Belle out of this deal you made with her."

          The smirk slid from Gold's lips as he pressed them into a thin line, the muscle in his jaw ticking dangerously. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Lucas."

          "I'm not going to let you hurt her, Gold. She's been through enough without having to deal with you trying to seduce her. She's a good girl and deserves better than you!" she hissed, refusing to back down in the face of his silent menace.

          "I know she does and that's why I'm not trying to seduce her. I assume she shared the terms of our contract with you?"

          "Yes, which is why I'm here to beg you to let her out of it. What kind of man puts a kissing clause in a contract?" she fumed.

          "I may not have been thinking clearly when I drew up the contract, but … since we are both happy with our arrangement, I don't see how it is any of your concern," he said, raising a sardonic brow and daring her to rebuke him.

          "Fine. But let me make one thing clear to you, you old pervert. If you hurt her, the sheriff won't find enough body parts left of you to bury!"

          Gold watched her turn and stalk to the door, his trademark smirk firmly back in place. It was nice to know everyone in this town wasn't like Moe French. Ruby genuinely loved his Belle and wanted to look out for her. The little wolf girl was fierce in defense of her friend and it made him happy that she was a true friend to his beloved. His smile turned into a sneer as Ruby nearly knocked Regina down on her way out. Just what he didn't need this morning, his good mood dropping somewhere in the region of the seventh circle of hell.

          "Good morning, Gold," she greeted him, her ruby lips curling up into a honey-sweet smile which never boded well for anyone. Her eyes were filled with delight and curiosity. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she quickly thought of what she could do to turn his confrontation with Ruby to her advantage. "What could you possibly have done to Miss Lucas to have her so angry? I could hear her yelling well before I approached the door," she said, moving to stand at the counter before him.

          "I don't see how that concerns you, Madam Mayor. I'm certain you have quite enough business of your own to handle without meddling in my affairs," he replied simply, a note of warning in his whisper-soft voice. She should know by now, after so many years of dealing with him, this particular tone was loaded with menace.

          The queen had no idea how much control he was forced to exert not to move around the counter and lay her back against the glass, his hands around her smooth alabaster throat as he choked the life from her worthless form. He wanted to watch the light fade from her eyes and see her life drain away for what she had done to his true love.

          It must have been the ultimate victory for her to watch him and his love argue, to watch the hate which radiated between them for the past decades. She must have been sitting on her lofty perch over the town laughing with glee as they wanted nothing to do with one another and it made him want to rip and tear her flesh until there was nothing left of the vile loathsome creature she had become.

          And he would have his revenge. He just had to be patient and wait for Miss Swan to break the curse. Then there would be nowhere Regina could hide to escape his wrath.

          "So, what brings you here today, dearie?" he asked, trying to keep the rage from his tone, to remain calm in the face of his enemy. She was the last person who ever needed to know his memories had returned.

          Regina's long nails, painted red to match the color of her lips, tapped on the glass of the display case, knowing how much the noise would irritate him. "I just heard a delicious little piece of gossip and I rushed right over to see if it was true."

          Gold chuckled mirthlessly. "And why would you think I might have the vaguest notion of what you're talking about?"

          She placed her palms flat against the counter and leaned forward just the tiniest bit, searching his deep brown eyes for any sign of awareness. Not that she would see anything he didn't want her to see. "Because, Gold, this little rumor has to do with you acquiring a certain girl as your new housekeeper. Poor Mr. French is beside himself that his only daughter is now living in the lair of the town monster."

          He showed not a sign of the rage bubbling just below the surface of his skin as he glared at her. "It's not a secret, Regina. Miss French was in a spot of trouble and I offered her a deal. One quite beneficial to the both of us."

          "To the both of you?" Regina asked, unconvinced, her brows rising dubiously. "Since when do you make a deal which actually  _helps_  someone beside yourself?"

          "Again, I don't see how this concerns you."

          She was suddenly wondering how far she could push him before the cold restraint he was displaying snapped like a twig. "Perhaps someone needs to aid Miss French in freeing herself and beginning a new life. Surely she doesn't realize the danger she is in."

          Gold's lips curled back over his teeth as he snarled at her. "You will stay away from Miss French, Regina," he growled, his hands curling into tight fists at his side. "You will not speak to her, you will not go near her, and you will not threaten her. Are we clear, dear?" he asked in a deadly whisper.

          "But I think …"

He leaned forward until his nose was a mere inch from hers and she could clearly see the gold flecks in the depths of his eyes. " _Please."_

          Regina drew back and snapped her mouth closed as if someone had slapped her, compelled to do exactly as he'd asked. Her smug demeanor changed in an instant to one of cold disdain. "You know she'll never love you, Gold. Someone as good and pure as Belle French will eventually see the monster you are and run back home to her father and as far away from you as she can possibly get."

          "We'll see about that."

          Without another word, Regina strode to the door and was gone, leaving Gold to retreat to the back room of his shop. He fell heavily into the leather chair behind his desk and took a deep calming breath. Regina was wrong. Belle  _would_  love him again. He'd be willing to wager every spool of gold thread he'd ever spun that she would be his again.

          He fished his phone out of the pocket of his suit jacket and dialed a number. The man answered on the second ring. "Mr. Dove, how is my girl?"

          "She invited me to have lunch with her and seemed to be in good spirits. She asked a lot of questions about you, sir," Dove reported.

          Gold sat forward and propped an elbow on the desk, rubbing his brow with his hand in a gesture of weariness. "What kinds of questions?"

          "If you had been married before, did you have children, why was it she'd never seen you date anyone in town, why everyone seemed to fear you."

          "What did you tell her?"

          "Yes, yes, I don't know, and that she would have to ask you the last one."

          "Simple and to the point," Gold remarked absently, encouraged she wanted to know more about him and that she wasn't hesitant to ask those questions of his most trusted employee. "Let me know if Regina or Moe French come anywhere near the house and continue to keep a watch over Belle."

          "I will, sir," Dove said, ending the call.

          Gold put his phone away and retrieved the Tupperware container Belle had packed with chicken and pasta from the night before, removing the lid and popping it into the microwave to warm. She was taking excellent care of him and his home, just as she had done when they'd lived together in the Dark Castle. Hopefully, her reputation wouldn't suffer as badly here in this land as it had in the previous one. But he never had cared overmuch for what other people thought of his relationship with Belle. She belonged to him, she was his to protect and he would do it or die trying. He could now breathe a little easier knowing Regina wouldn't be able to harm his Belle. But it was days like this when he wished he could barricade himself in his home with her and forget the rest of the world.

          As he ate his lunch, food made with his love's delicate hands and tender care, he wondered again over the deal he had made with her and the real reason he'd added the kissing clause to her contract. Ruby had been right, he was being selfish. He had pushed Belle away because of a kiss … true love's kiss. In this realm he could kiss her as much as he desired and if he was honest, he desired her kisses more than the air he breathed.

          He couldn't understand how one kiss could have changed him so much. It had threatened to break his curse, threatened to destroy his power and he'd felt he had no choice but to cast her out. Though reluctant to admit it at the time, the kiss had brought warmth to his soul. It had brought life to the muscle in his chest he'd thought to be long dead and incapable of love.

          And now he couldn't kiss her enough. He craved her lips against his. He wanted to show her how much he loved her, how he desired her, and how his life was meaningless without her. He wanted to show her he was sorry for rejecting the love she'd so freely and unselfishly offered. He wanted to show her he needed her, that he couldn't be a better man without her prodding him in the right direction.

          Perhaps if he could get her to love him again in this land, they could share true love's kiss once again and her memories would return. Even though it scared him to death she would remember what he'd done to her and she would hate him for it, he had to try. She deserved to become whole again and he could only pray she would give him another chance to make things right between them. This time he wouldn't be a coward. This time he'd prostrate himself at her feet and beg, if need be, to let him love her as she deserved.

 

*.*.*

 

          "Belle," he called as he closed the door behind him and hung his coat on the rack by the door. "Where are you, dear?"

          "Kitchen," she sing-songed, turning off the radio on the counter and putting the finishing touches to the tray she was preparing.

          He stopped in the kitchen doorway, wishing he could move to her side and take her in his arms to greet her properly, the way he wished he could after being separated from her all day. He wanted to embrace her tightly and take her lips in a searing kiss and let her know how much he'd missed her, even if it had only been for a mere eight hours. He noticed the tray and met her eyes, puzzled. "What are you doing?"

          "Go get washed up, Gold, while I bring this into the library," she said, her eyes gleaming with happiness that he was finally home. She'd found herself missing him terribly and had resorted to inviting Mr. Dove to have lunch with her, so she didn't have to suffer a solitary meal alone, all the while wishing it were Gold with which she was sharing it. And she didn't want their evening meal to be in the cavernous dining room, but rather set before the cozy fire in the library. "And ditch the jacket and tie. You don't have to be so formal in your own home."

          He watched her pass him as he stood transfixed in awe of her blinding smile and the warmth exuding from her cerulean eyes. He did as she instructed - commanded was more like it - and joined her in the library. The two lamps she had on cast the room in a dimmer light than what he was accustomed to and the warm glow of the fire only added to the comfort of the room.

          She had lit two candles and placed them on the coffee table next to the tray which he could only assume held their dinner. She ushered him onto the sofa and handed him a glass of red wine before she lifted the cover from his plate and laid a napkin across his lap.

          "I hope you like stew. I find it comforting and familiar and I made bread bowls to serve it in. This way you can eat the bowl and I thought it would be a nice change to eat by the fire instead of your intimidating dining room which I really don't like and I'm rambling, aren't I?" she asked, ducking her head and biting her lip. She could feel the heat rising in her face and neck as she peered up at him through lowered lashes. She smoothed her hands over the floral peasant skirt she'd changed into earlier, her palms sweating due to her nerves.

          Gold tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and let his fingertips trace along the side of her face, casting her a rare genuine smile he reserved for her and her alone, finally tipping her chin up to meet his gaze. "You're perfect, dear. Everything you've done is just perfect," he said, his brogue thick and it washed over her like a caress.

          Her own lips curved up slowly into a pleased smile. "Well, I'm very happy you're pleased with my efforts," she beamed, her voice a tad on the breathless side and handed him a plate.

          They ate in a comfortable silence until very little crumbs remained on their plates and more than half the wine was gone. Considering her previous dislike for the man, Belle found she was more relaxed in his presence than she was with her friends or her father. She felt a sense of belonging with Gold, a thought which should have frightened her, but was instead rather soothing. "Were you very busy at the shop today?" she asked, trying to get her mind on something other than the myriad of unanswered questions galloping full trot across her brain.

          "Not too busy, no. Quite a few visitors, however," he told her, scowling at the thought of Regina and her thinly veiled threats. But he refused to let her ruin his evening with his Belle.

          "From the way you're frowning, I take it you weren't too happy with your visitors," Belle said as she busied her hands piling their empty dishes onto the tray. "I'm sure it wasn't as bad as you make it sound."

          He set his wineglass on the coffee table and turned to her with a wry smirk. "You think not?" he asked, raising his brows in challenge. "First, your dear friend Ruby came in to tell me she was not averse to chopping off certain body parts should I hurt you …"

          "Oh, stop teasing. She did nothing of the sort," Belle snorted, trying to fight back the giggles rising in her throat.

          "She most certainly did. And then Regina stopped by just to irritate me and see for herself if I had really taken you on as my housekeeper."

          The smile remained on her face as she met his warm gaze. "And I'm sure you handled them both splendidly with that rapier tongue of yours." She turned her head and hid her face behind her curtain of hair to keep him from seeing the blush rising to stain her cheeks as she thought about other more pleasant things to do with his tongue than telling off her friend and the mayor.

          Gold could feel the heat radiating from her and rose quickly to sit at his spinning wheel. It seemed a sitting position was quite appropriate whenever he was in the same room with her. He was beginning to wonder if he'd ever be able to stand in her presence again without being indecent. The Dark One reared his head at that and sniffed appreciatively at the air.

          She was his, she belonged to him by her own admission of love the day he'd cast her out. Why shouldn't he be able to take what was his? The spinner beat the beast back with a stick and firmly locked the cage. Love, it made all the difference. She was to be handled with care and a gentle hand and she would be his once more. He wouldn't scare her off because he was nearly consumed with lust.

          He straddled the short bench before the wheel and set to work. Finding a comfortable position to sit was an impossibility and he didn't bother to try. He watched Belle lift the tray in her hands and move to the door to return it to the kitchen. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder. "Gold, would you like me to make tea, or would you rather have another glass of wine?" she asked, the tinkling sound of her voice carrying over to him and tripping pleasantly down his spine.

          Gold quickly averted his gaze back to the wool in his hand and murmured, "Tea will be lovely, dearie." 

          _Would you get a bloody grip on yourself? This is Belle. You are not in the Dark Castle anymore wondering over her feelings. You know she loves you. Stop being a coward! You are Mr. Gold, terror of Storybrooke. Show a bit of character! Be confident._

          He was able to pull himself into a semblance of calm composure by the time she returned with the tea and set about fixing them each a cup from her seat on the sofa. He had no idea why he was even attempting to spin. The thread in his hand was clumped and knotted and he had to set about repairing it and missed when she rose from the sofa and approached him, her blue floral peasant skirt swaying softly around her shapely legs. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning.

          Belle handed Gold his cup and laid the back of her hand on his brow. "Are you feeling alright, Gold? You look a little flushed."

 _Oh, love, if you only knew._  "Fine. I'm fine, dear," he mumbled over the rim of his cup. It didn't help when she sat at his feet and tucked her legs under her, giving him a lovely view of her breasts from the top of her tank top. He could see a bit of her black lace bra peeking out and this time he wasn't able to stifle the groan which rose in the back of his throat. He tried to hide it with a cough.

          "Gold, what is it? You're acting odd this evening," she said with a puzzled frown.

          "Tea's a bit hot. Burned my lip," he uttered lamely. He drained his cup and handed it to her, turning back to his spinning and praying she'd bought his excuse. She was probably thinking he'd taken leave of his senses.

          Belle quirked an amused brow and hid her smug smile as she gave him her back and walked over to the tea service to set the cups. She wondered if his flushed face was the result of him wanting her as much as she wanted him. Did he want her? Ruby's words repeated over and over in her mind. They taunted her … _you're falling for him._  Did she want to? Oh, yes.

          When he'd first offered her the deal, she'd been adamant she wasn't going to have sex with him and had thought the kissing clause to be one of the most insane ideas she could have been presented with. But things had changed due to her close proximity of sharing his home with him. She couldn't remember ever being so  _aware_  of another person, but Gold was so … _there_. He emanated heat which wrapped around her and enveloped her in a cocoon of desire. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, wishing it was his arms instead of her own.

          Belle heard the wheel come to an abrupt halt and she could practically feel his eyes upon her. His voice was deeper than usual, filled with warmth and she wondered for the thousandth time that day if he returned her feelings. He'd never touched anything but her face or her waist when he held her to kiss her. What if he didn't want her that way and she was wasting her time? She needed advice from Ruby, but with her best friend dead-set against her having a relationship with Gold, asking was out of the question. She'd know exactly how to find out what Belle wanted to know.

          "Are you going to read tonight, Belle?"

          Belle had moved to his side in her distraction of thoughts without realizing it, and he was looking up at her, curious as to her answer. "I'd rather you show me how you spin," she suggested, lightly biting her bottom lip and meeting his gaze expectantly. "Would you show me, Gold?" She could see his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed. Taking a chance he wouldn't reject her, she took the thread from his hand and sat down on the bench in front of him, pressing her back to his chest until he scooted back to make more room for her, his legs cradling her hips. Only then, when she was happily settled against him, did she return the thread to his hand.

          "Um … ah … did you want to learn, or did you just want to watch?" he asked, his brogue thick as he struggled to speak over the lump which had formed in his throat. The blood rushed quickly away from his brain and straight south to his groin as she pressed herself against his chest. He didn't think he'd be able to teach her anything with the way his tongue was twisted and stuck to the roof of his mouth, his breath heavy in his chest and desire pooling hotly in his belly.

          She settled her skirts around her and leaned her head back against his shoulder, folding her hands in her lap. "I think I'd just like to watch and …"

          "Yes?"

          "Maybe we can talk for a while? If we're going to be living together in the same house, I'd like to know more about you … if that's alright," she said, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

          If he leaned down just a tiny bit, he would be able to brush his lips to hers, he thought. He gave himself a mental shake and tried to remember what she was talking about. "W-What would you like to know, dearie?" he asked, forcing the wheel to move as he dragged his mind out of the proverbial gutter.

          Belle focused her gaze on the thread moving through his nimble fingers, her own mind wandering to what they would feel like against her skin. "Why did you hate me before?"

          Gold could hear the needle scratch in his head, effectively cooling his ardor … not completely, but enough to make him think coherently once again. "I never hated you, Belle. I just thought you were a mouthy, frustrating little minx," he said, smiling down at her when she looked up and wrinkled her nose at him. "Why did  _you_  hate  _me_?" he asked, curious to hear her answer.

          Belle was silent for a moment, putting a good deal of thought into her answer. She wasn't going to lie to him. Not just because she was a terrible liar, but because he deserved honesty. She doubted he received it very often. "I don't really think I ever hated you. I think my father's dislike of you spilled over to me and influenced my thinking. Now that I look back on it, it was more like verbal foreplay. I always enjoyed our wordplay with each other."

          "Verbal foreplay?" he sputtered, the wheel jerking to a halt beneath his hands. "Oh, Miss French, the things you say." He chuckled, his breath fanning against her ear and sending its warmth spreading hotly through her body. She closed her eyes briefly, savoring the feeling and resisting the urge to press her thighs together to relieve the ache emanating from her core. "Next question?"

          "Favorite color?"

          "Really? That's the best you can come up with?" he teased, the thread falling from his hand as he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

          Belle inhaled sharply as his hand splayed on her stomach. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly. "I really want to know."

 _What was the bloody question? Oh, right._  "Blue. And yours?"

          "Brown. Sable brown. Deep. Dark. Sable brown."

          "Brown? Why brown?" he asked, nuzzling his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply, breathing her in and letting her scent of roses and something which was distinctly Belle envelop him and ravage his senses.

          "Perhaps someday I'll tell you." How could she tell him the reason she had chosen that color was because of his eyes? She was having trouble concentrating on their playful banter. All she could think of was how much she craved his touch, how much she wanted to taste his lips and how everything was moving entirely too fast.

          "Alright, next question," he whispered against the shell of her ear. He trailed his lips along her skin from neck to shoulder, feather-light. He reigned in his passion enough to stop himself from using his teeth and tongue to enflame her, feeling she wasn't quite ready to have him unleash his lust on her. Or at least he thought she wasn't, until she raised her hand and thrust it into his hair, pulling his lips closer to the flesh he was toying with.

          Her breath was coming in short pants as his teeth grazed her neck, nipping lightly before sucking gently to soothe her. He was doing anything but soothing her. "Name," she gasped. "What's you first name?"

          He moaned and pulled her more securely against his chest, his hands slipping beneath her tank top to smooth over her belly. "You know my name, sweetheart," he murmured, the husky timbre of his voice vibrating against her skin and drawing a moan from deep in her throat.

          "No, you've never told me," she insisted, digging her nails into his thighs and pressing her backside into his hips. She could feel his arousal against her lower back, but she couldn't summon the willpower to smile in satisfaction. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him, and the knowledge pleased her as much as the sensations she was experiencing under his touch.

          "Yes, you do, my Belle. You've just forgotten."

          "Tell me," she said, her hand once more carding into his hair and scratching lightly against his scalp with her nails. "Please."

          Gold met her heavy-lidded gaze and wound his hand in her hair, pulling her head back to nibble softly at her lower lip, teasing her. "You have to remember on your own," he whispered against her lips before claiming them in a searing kiss. Still, he kept a tight rein on himself before he took her too far into the haze of lust and desire threatening to consume them.

          "Gold …"

          He bit lightly on her bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth, the feel of her writhing hips nearly undoing him. He dragged his lips away from hers and rested his brow against her temple, his breathing ragged. "Time for bed, sweetheart. If we don't stop soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to."

          She nodded in agreement, but she made no move to leave his embrace. Belle raised her head and grazed just beneath his jaw with her swollen lips. "Goodnight, Gold."

          He watched her sway slightly as she made her way to the spiral staircase. He retrieved the thread in his calloused fingers and turned back to the wheel. She disappeared through the door on the level above before his whisper floated up behind her. "Goodnight, my love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You guys frustrated enough yet? Don't hate me. My characters have decided this is the way they want to go. I really hope ya'll are enjoying the fic. Please leave a review … I mean it … pretty please. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved or followed. Ya'll are just a great big dose of awesome sauce. xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And now here's something I hope you'll really like … Kudos to anyone who can tell me where that line came from. If you're under 35 it's doubtful you can tell me … but then again I could be wrong. Anywhoo! Hoping you are enjoying the tale. Poor Rumpel/Gold. Surprised he hasn't caught pneumonia from all the cold showers. Let's see if we can't ease his suffering … or not. Lol.
> 
> So … um … here it is.

          Two weeks. Two agonizing weeks of torture. Two weeks of having his darling Belle under his roof, a room away as he lay there suffering alone in his bed at night.

          With every kiss, his torture was prolonged as she sought out every sensitive corner of his mouth with her tongue. He couldn't sleep, as evidenced from the dark circles under his eyes. He barely had an appetite, even though she worked diligently to prepare his favorite meals. It was no longer just a kiss, no longer light petting. No, his beloved was on a mission … seduce and destroy.

          His tight hold on his control was suffering a beating and now he was taking it out on his tenants. One poor man wouldn't even open the door to be faced with his condescending smirk, but had slipped his payment out the mail slot to land at Gold's feet. Even Dove, who had accompanied him, hadn't been able to hold back an amused snort.

          All magic comes with a price. Only in this case, there was no magic. But a deal was a deal. It was so ingrained in him, his penchant for deal-making, that had he  _wanted_  to tear up her contract, he couldn't. It went against everything he was. And now his own carefully constructed terms had come back to bite him in the ass! He'd awakened desire in her innocent body, and though he was thrilled, delighted even, that she wanted him … he wanted her love even more. He wanted her to come to him, not because of a contract, but because she loved him.

          Last week had nearly been his undoing. He'd made the mistake of falling asleep on the sofa in the library after dinner. He thought he'd be relatively safe from a lusty encounter before bedtime. She'd been in the kitchen tidying up, he’d heard her as she'd moved about the kitchen, the clang of plates and silverware as she'd stacked them in the dishwasher.  

          The lack of sleep he'd been suffering had finally caught up with him and he'd been unable to resist falling into a light slumber.

          He'd thought he was just having another illicit dream about his beauty, her teeth grazing the side of his exposed neck while she'd deftly set to work unbuttoning his shirt, her legs on either side of his hips where she'd straddled him. It was her warm little hands sliding across his bare chest which had brought him fully awake, her name on his lips.

          "Belle!"

 

          _She ignored his cry of alarm and placed a hot open-mouthed kiss over his heart, a little hum of pleasure slipping past her lips as she raised her sloe-lidded gaze to his._

_Gold gripped her upper arms in a firm but gentle grip and hauled her up, his nose brushing hers as his wide eyes searched her face. Belle closed the distance between them and seized his lips in a hungry kiss. The little purring sounds issuing from her throat went straight to his groin, causing him to falter and question himself as to why he should be pushing her away, helpless under the onslaught of her sweet mouth. He jerked himself back to reality at the last moment before he surrendered and crushed her body to his. Instead, he reluctantly pushed her back into a sitting position._

_Her rosebud lips pulled into a moue of displeasure. “What’s wrong, Gold? I’m just kissing you goodnight,” she pouted. Oh, Belle knew exactly what she was doing. She knew he wanted her, could feel the evidence of his desire pressed tightly to her core through the thin gusset of her lace knickers and she couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t give in and take her to his bed. Although she had to admire his restraint. He was an honorable man - despite what other people said about him - and she was coming to care for him deeply._

_He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Belle, this is not why I brought you here,” he said gently, not wanting to hurt her feelings with his rejection._

_Belle flushed with exasperation. “Then why did you want me here?” she huffed. “If you’d wanted someone to cook and clean, you could easily have hired someone else. Why did you want **me**?”_

_Gold’s mind went blank as he raked a frustrated hand over his face. “Because I care about you!” he barked in a tone far harsher than he meant. “I was trying to give you an out. I knew you’d never leave your father if you felt it was still your responsibility to take care of him, so I cleared the debt.”_

_She was touched by his concern, but it still didn’t explain why he kept her at arm’s length. “Then why don’t you want me … like … oh, hell … intimately?” He continued to give off mixed signals and she hated it that she couldn’t figure him out. “You let me kiss you, but the minute I want more, you pull away and close yourself off.” She shook off his gentle hold and climbed off the sofa to stand before the hearth. He sat up and reached for her, but she stepped away before his skin could come in contact with hers._

_"Belle, it's not like that. You cannot possibly imagine how much I do want you. But you're still adjusting to your new life here with me and I am not going to take advantage of you while you're vulnerable,"_ _he tried to explain, being completely honest with her. No lies, no twisting his words, and no half-truths._

_Belle shook her head in disgust and pointed a dainty finger at him. "It should be my choice, my fate," she hissed at him, angry tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. He rose from the sofa and moved towards her, his hand once again reaching for her._

_She slapped it away. "All my life I've had someone telling me what to do, how to act and what I want. No more! I know what I want and I'm not afraid to go after it." She drew herself up and stiffened her spine, her chin lifting defiantly as she glared at him. "But you've made your choice with crystal clarity. I won't touch you again except to hold up my part of the contract. Two kisses, no more."_

_She left him standing there with his mouth gaping before the tears began to fall. "Belle, wait …" he called after her, but she had already been racing from the gallery above, retreating to her room. "Belle!"_

          Gold hadn't gone after her to try to explain. He was all too familiar with her temper and had decided to give her time to calm down. For once he had refrained from taking his frustrations out on the contents of the room. This was her sanctuary, her favorite room in his home and he wouldn't defile it with his temper. But he had spun well into the wee hours of the morning, desperate to come up with a solution to their current dilemma. The next morning, there was no breakfast waiting for him. He refused to acknowledge an unopened packet of pop tarts as sustenance.

          She'd said not a word as she’d stalked past him and waited by the door, his coat in her hands, ready for him slip his arms into the sleeves. He could tell she was still angry in the way she held herself and refused to meet his gaze. She'd clenched her jaw as his hand had moved to tenderly stroke the line of her face, but she'd leaned up to place a chaste kiss briefly to his lips. She'd then turned on her heel and retreated to the library, slamming the door behind her.

          For three days afterward, nothing but chaste kisses, frozen microwavable dinners and silence. He'd had Dove go down to _Game of Thorns_ , purchase a dozen roses and deliver them personally to Belle at the house. He wasn't about to let Moe deliver them. Dove had presented them to Belle with a personalized note from Gold which read  _I'm sorry_  in his bold elegant scrawl.

          He'd come home to find them in the kitchen trash can. His Belle wouldn't even remain in the same room with him, choosing to spend all her time in her bedroom. And it had sent him into a deep depression to rival his own. He'd missed her passion, her touch and the way her body felt pressed to his when she melted against him as he ravaged her mouth. He missed having dinner with her, missed their banter and quiet conversations. He missed her wit and the sound of her voice when she would read to him. She'd pulled away from him and built a wall to ward him out, unwilling to suffer more rejection at his hands. He'd despaired of ever winning her back.

          Then just as swiftly as everything had fallen apart, it was repaired.

 

_On the fourth day, he stumbled into the house and everything changed. The shop had been robbed. Ashley Boyd, desperate to regain control over her life, had broken into the pawn shop to steal back her contract, to renege on the deal she'd made with him._

_His eyes burned from the pepper spray she'd used on him and he had a gash to his temple where he'd fallen against the display case. But nothing could compare to the pain in his back. He already suffered due to his limping gait, but his lower back was a blaze of fiery agony after the fall. His thoughts of what he would do with Miss Boyd slithered to the back of his mind as Belle came out of the kitchen, hearing him arrive home and caught sight of his disheveled state._

_"Oh! What happened to you, Gold?" she asked, her brow creasing with worry and concern as she moved to his side and helped him into the library. Sometimes he wondered why he had a living room and a den when they were never used._

_He forgot all about the aches and pains which were like a rampaging beast beating at his body. His Belle was talking to him again. And not only was she talking to him, she was touching him and fawning over his wounds, her voice heavy with concern and sympathy. And then anger as he related the tale of how he'd come to be in such a state._

_His stomach plummeted when she left him there alone and just as easily fluttered back to life as she returned to his side, first aid kit in one hand, and a tumbler of scotch in the other. "Did you call the police?" she asked as she cleansed the wound at his temple and placed a band-aid over the cut. "You could get her for assault at the very least." He winced, emitting a hiss of pain as she helped him out of his suit jacket. "What's wrong with your back? You hurt it, too, didn't you?"_

_He should have been worried when she left the room with a devious grin on her face, but he'd thought she was going to leave him there to suffer alone. He was surprised when she returned to the library and tossed a bottle - of something he failed to identify - onto the sheepskin rug by the hearth and set to work on the buttons of his waistcoat. He'd immediately grasped her hands in his. "What are you doing?" he asked in alarm._

_"Well I can't very well work the knots out of your back if you're fully dressed, now can I? I don't want to ruin your precious suit," she snapped irritably, as if her intentions were obvious and he was being dull._

_Belle wrenched her hands out of his grasp and set to work divesting him first of his waistcoat, then his shirt despite his protests. She nearly had to drag him to the rug and push him down to lie on his stomach. She removed his shoes and socks and thrust a throw pillow to rest his head on before she grabbed the bottle of warming oil and straddled his thighs._

          Gold groaned just thinking back to that night. Her hands had been deft and precise as she'd poured the oil over his back and set to work, kneading gently and then with a firm pressure which had him squirming beneath her. And not from the pain. Oh, no … every touch of her hands on his bare flesh sent another jolt of fire spreading through his veins, making his heart thunder and his breath hitch.

          He'd wanted nothing more than to strip her bare and pin her beneath him. The infuriating minx had worked him from the base of his spine to the nape of his neck until he was a quivering mass of goo, putty in her talented hands. And what had she done? She'd rolled him over, avoiding his grasping hands, kissed him on the tip of his nose and left the room in search of her own bed for the evening. It had taken a cold shower and his own hand to find relief after that episode while she had peacefully slept one room away.

          Belle had acted perfectly calm and composed as though it hadn't affected her at all, he thought bitterly. Now she was toying with him and he found he didn't like it one bit. But she'd begun to put more into her kisses once again the following morning, leaving him aching for her as he set off to open the shop.

          She'd also started cooking for him again, which made his stomach rejoice. He was sick to death of frozen dinners and sandwiches. He ground his teeth together and glanced up at the clock. She was sleeping over at Ruby's tonight, some girl's night activity she'd asked to attend. He was going to be alone. The thought of his empty house, devoid of Belle's presence only made him feel more depressed. He had an unopened bottle of scotch in his study which just so happened to have his name written all over it.

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle licked the sugar off the rim of her strawberry margarita and nibbled on a piece of fruit she fished from the bottom of the glass. She was sprawled atop a sleeping bag in Ruby's bedroom along with Emma and Mary Margaret. It was the last place she wanted to be, but Ruby had made her promise to come. She didn't want to be with her friends. As strained as things had become at home, she still wanted nothing more than to be there with him.

          "How's Ashley? She still in the hospital?" Mary Margaret asked of Emma, taking a sip of her own drink.

          "No, she was released two days ago. She and the baby are fine," Emma said absently, her mind on the movie as her hand dove into the bowl of popcorn set in the middle of their nest.

          Ruby plopped down cross-legged on her sleeping bag with a fresh drink in hand and frowned. "I thought she was giving the baby up."

          "Apparently, she changed her mind," Mary Margaret replied.

          "But she had a deal with Gold. No one breaks a deal with Gold," Ruby said, surreptitiously casting a glance in Belle's direction. Belle didn't look too happy at the news, her jaw clenched and her eyes an ice blue in her upset.

          "He said he'd let Ashley keep the baby if Emma granted him a favor," Mary Margaret winced.

          Emma shrugged. "How bad could it be?"

          Ruby tossed a pillow at her. "Are you crazy? Do you really want to be indebted to Gold? God knows what he's likely to ask you."

          Belle had had enough. "So, it's perfectly alright for her to assault a disabled man, steal from him, break a binding contract and then get everything she ever wanted? She should have been arrested," she hissed hotly, setting her drink aside and hastily climbing to her feet.

          "You're only upset your boyfriend isn't a nice man. If you weren't so head over feet for the man, you might see what a monster he really is," Ruby murmured over the rim of her glass.

          "He's not my boyfriend," she snapped defensively. She didn't want to disturb Granny down the hall and have her bursting in on their argument. "But if he was, he would be a damn sight better than some of the men you've dated."

          "As if! Name one positive thing to recommend Gold," Ruby challenged. Mary Margaret stared at them wide-eyed and Emma had finally dragged her attention away from the movie they were supposed to be watching in case she needed to jump between the two women.

          Belle slipped her feet into her flats and grabbed her overnight bag. "I don't have to defend Gold. He's a good, decent, caring man and better company than my own friends, I'm sorry to say."

          "You're in love with him!" Ruby accused.

          Belle stalked over to the door and left without another word, Ruby's accusation ringing in her ears. Mary Margaret followed her out into the hall. "Belle, don't leave, please. You know how Ruby gets when she's had a few too many. Tomorrow the two of you will be laughing over this."

          Belle brushed angrily at the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks and laughed, a bitter hollow sound. "Ruby hasn't been the same since I moved in with Gold. I doubt she'll ever be able to accept it." She hugged Mary Margaret and left the B&B to walk home.

          Ruby was right and that's what hurt so much. She didn't want to love him. He kept pushing her farther and farther away and it was killing her. He didn't want to take advantage of her innocence. She'd never hated her virtue more at that moment. It was hers and she should be able to give it freely to whomever she chose.

          She'd just never found anyone she wanted to give it to. She'd always wanted her first time to be with someone she loved and who loved her in return, someone she felt a connection with … she wanted true love. It might be a silly fantastical notion from her childhood when she'd listened to her mother read about princes and damsels and dragons. But this wasn't a fairytale and she wondered if her feelings for Gold would be enough.

          The house was dark when she used her key and let herself in through the front door. It was barely nine o'clock. He couldn't be in bed already. She headed to the library, the glow of the fire he kept burning in there casting light from under the door. She would grab a book to bring up with her.

          She was surprised he wasn't in the room spinning as was his want to do after dinner. Quietly, she made her way upstairs and to her room to unpack her overnight bag and settle into the window seat to read for a while. Changing into her plaid flannel pajama pants and a black tank top, she curled up by the window and opened her book.

          A loud crash from Gold's room had her springing off the window seat in fright, the book tumbling out of her hands to the floor and her feet moving rapidly, propelling her into the hall. She didn't even knock, her hand twisting around the doorknob to find it locked. She ran back to their shared bathroom and found the door locked from the inside of his room.  _What the hell? He never locks that door._  She went back into her room and opened a little decorative box which had been in her room when she'd moved in and retrieved the key to the adjoining door separating their rooms.

          Gold was lying face down on the floor, his nose pressed into the Persian rug covering the hard wood floor. He lifted his head and looked up at her blearily as she gasped and dropped to her knees next to his head, taking in his sorry state. He still had his suit pants on, sans his belt. His shoes and socks were gone, leaving him bare foot and his waistcoat had been discarded, leaving him in his dress shirt which was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. "Hello, love," he slurred, a sloppy grin on his lips.

          Then it hit her, and she got up on her haunches, slowly backing away from him in a crouch, her eyes wide and fearful. "You're drunk!"

          He rolled over onto his back and tried to focus on her. "Just a little bit," he said, holding his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. He stared at his fingers in confusion and let his head fall back against the rug. "Thought you'd left me." He reached out and grasped her hand to pull her down next to him. She ended up sprawled across his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It took him a moment to realize she was stiff in his arms. That wasn't like her, he thought and scrutinized her closer, taking note of her fear. "Why are you frightened, love? You know I would never hurt you."

          Belle had to remind herself this wasn't her drunken father who she was forced to deal with. This was Gold, who'd never given her reason to fear him. Gold, who had always protected her and cared for her. She relaxed against his chest and lifted a hand to brush the hair away from his eyes. "I know you wouldn't. Now, how did you end up on the floor, hmm?" she asked, keeping her voice low and nonthreatening as she would if faced with a wild animal. He might have never given her reason to fear him, but his faculties were impaired and there was a first time for everything.

          "Rug jumped up and grabbed m'leg. Bastard tripped me," he shot the rug a mutinous glare before nuzzling his nose against the crook of her neck where it met her shoulder, his hand coming up to twine in her unbound hair. She looked at the legs of the bed resting firmly atop the rug and raised a skeptical brow.

          "Sure it did." She pushed herself off his chest and got to her feet, holding out both of her hands to help him up off the floor. "Come on, Gold. Let's get you changed and put to bed."

          He let her help him up and swayed unsteadily. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and maneuvered him over to sit on the side of the bed. "Lost m'bloody bottle of sc …" Hiccup. "… scotch." Belle snatched the more than half-empty bottle off the nightstand and moved it to the dresser out of his reach. "There it is," he slurred, rising to his feet and falling back once again. "Belle, love, hand it to me, please."

          "You've had quite enough," she scolded gently, opening a drawer and pulling out a set of his silk pajamas.

          He dropped back against the bed and covered his eyes with an arm. "You always were a difficult little woman. Always flitting about the castle," he tittered, waving his hand through the air. " _Don't do that, Rum. You're going to set the drapes on fire … again. Stop that, Rum. You're going to hurt yourself … or worse, me. Don't drink that, Rum. Don't track mud all over my clean floors, Rum,_ " he said mockingly, his voice rising in a shrill tone.

          Belle felt a cold chill creep down her spine. Rum? "Might I ask what you're blathering about?" Always a good idea to humor the drunk. A blush rose in her face as she set the pajamas next to him on the bed and reached for the waistband of his pants. He sat up and grabbed her hand to push it away, instead reaching for her and wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer and bury his face against her belly.

          "Why can't you remember me, Belle? I want you to remember us so badly." He rubbed his face against the soft fabric of her tank top as her hand came up to pet his hair.

          Belle draped her other arm around his neck and reveled in having him so close, uninhibited and unable to shut her out. If only she had a clue as to what he was talking about, she thought with a weary sigh. "It's alright, Gold," she crooned softly to the top of his head. He squeezed a bit more tightly and she was forced to take a step back to get him to loosen his hold on her so she could slide his shirt over his arms.

          He fell back against the mattress before she could reach for his pajama top and help him to put it on. "No's'not. I can't fixxxx … fix it until you amember. S'why haven't brought you t'bed yet. Can't believe y'thought I dinna want you."

          She leaned over him, her hands pressing into the mattress on either side of his shoulders, trying not to laugh at him. It was getting harder to understand him now and she needed to hurry and get him dressed for bed. He probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning. "What do you need to fix?"

          Coiling his arms around her, he flipped her onto her back and pinned her to the bed. He buried his face against her neck, breathing her in, a loud moan issuing from the back of his throat as her scent wrapped around him. His hips came to rest between her thighs and he pulled her leg over his hip so she could feel the evidence of his arousal. "I love you so much, my Belle. You're mine. You've always been mine," he confessed, his voice steady for the first time as his lips moved across the alabaster skin of her neck, nipping just beneath her ear with his teeth before sucking the sensitive flesh into his mouth. "My love, my Belle. Mine."

          Belle's heart fluttered in her chest at his words. He loved her. It was the only thing he'd said that made sense. It was something she could build on and take to heart. Her love wasn't one-sided. But she couldn't let this go any further when he was on the verge of passing out. She nearly changed her mind when he bucked against her and she could feel every inch of just how badly he wanted her. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as his lips trailed down her neck and his tongue dipped into the hollow of her throat. He only paused to repeat a litany of  _my Belle, my love, mine_  over and over again as though he were desperate to convince her of his feelings.

          Gold's hands slipped beneath her tank top and glided along her ribs until he reached her breasts. He lifted his head and cast her a wolfish grin when he found she'd removed her bra when she'd prepared for bed. He palmed her right breast and tweaked the nipple as he grasped the top of her shirt with his teeth and pulled it down to expose the left. Belle cried out, her back arching into him, and sank her nails into his shoulders as he drew her into his mouth, his rough tongue dragging across her nipple and then sucking hard. He pulled the other side of her top down, no doubt stretching the material beyond repair to pay homage to the other.

          "Please forgive me, my love. I never should have sent you away. I regretted it the moment you left. Love you so much," he drawled almost incoherently as he worked his way up the other side her neck. "Can you ever forgive me, sweetheart? I was afraid you really didn't love me, Belle. And then  _she_  told me you'd died."

          Belle shoved both of her hands into his hair and jerked his head away from her to meet his gaze. "What? Someone told you I'd died?" she asked incredulously. "Who?"

          He nodded and tried to return his lips to her neck, but her hold on him was too strong and the desire she felt was fading under the shock of his revelation. "The queen. Told me you'd died. Said you threw yourself off the top of the tower." He rested his brow against hers, his face screwing up in a grimace of pain. "I lost you. It was all m'fault. M'fault. I'm so sorry."

          His arms went around her as she pulled him back down into her comforting embrace, his tears falling into her hair. "Shh, it's alright, Gold," she soothed, more confused than she had ever been. She had no idea what he was trying to tell her, but she still felt everything would be alright. He was in her arms and he wasn't pushing her away. Together they would work through what was haunting him. He believed what he was trying to tell her, of that she was certain. But he was making no sense.

          Gold pulled away so he could look down into her eyes. "Please forgive me, Belle. You love me still? Please say you haven't stopped loving me. I don't think I could bear it."

          His eyes pleaded with her to accept him, to love him and she knew if he were in his right mind, he'd be running in the other direction to shut her out. He was so afraid of being hurt, it took half a bottle of scotch to get him to let her into his heart, to show her just how much he needed her. She'd probably never have this chance again. She leaned up as far as his embrace would allow and pressed her lips to his. "I do love you."

          "Say it again," he whispered against her lips as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and bit gently. "Please, my Belle."

          "I love you."

          He deepened the kiss until she was hearing bells in her ears. It took her a moment to realize it was the doorbell.  _Damn! Who the hell?_  "Gold, you have to let me go. Someone's at the door," she squeaked, trying to wriggle out of his embrace. He pressed his hips tightly to hers again and she saw stars, groaning over whoever now held the world record for worst timing ever.

          "They can sod off," he grumbled, trailing his lips along her jaw to nip gently at her ear.

          "Then let me up so I can tell them so," she insisted.

          He met her gaze with a frown of concern. "You'll come back. You'll stay with me?"

          Belle knew he'd never let her go if she didn't agree. "I promise. I'll get rid of whoever it is and be right back, ok?"

          Gold nodded and released her against his better judgment. He flopped over onto his stomach and pulled a pillow under his head, still lying sideways across the bed.

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle looked down at herself and groaned. Her tank top was ruined, so she snatched up Gold's dress shirt and slipped her arms in the sleeves, quickly doing up the buttons and grabbing the scotch bottle before hurrying downstairs. She deposited the bottle under the sink for safe keeping - he'd probably be wanting it back at some point - and went to answer the door. She was beyond irritated at this point and had a sharp retort prepared on her tongue as she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

          "I'm sorry. I'm a terrible friend and you have every right to hate me," Ruby said hurriedly before Belle could slam the door in her face.

          Belle took in the state of her friend and winced. Her makeup was a mess, mascara running. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and she looked in desperate need of a hug. She held the door open wider and beckoned her inside. "Come on, Rubes, and let's get you cleaned up," she sighed, drawing her dearest friend into the circle of her arms and rubbing soothing circles on her back.

          "You don't hate me?" Ruby asked, her tone a pitiful whine.

          Belle ushered her into the kitchen and wet a clean hand towel to clean Ruby's face. "Of course not. You're like a sister to me. We fight, we make up, we move on. It's life."

          Ruby took off her coat and laid it over the back of her chair. For the first time, Belle noticed she'd been in such a hurry she hadn't changed out of her pink pajamas. The penguins dressed as cupids were valentiney and corny, but cute. She'd seen Ruby wear a lot worse over the years.

          "Was I right? You really do love him?" she asked, running her nail over the wood grain of the table and refusing to meet Belle's gaze.

          Belle took Ruby's hand and held it for a moment before Ruby would look up at her. "I really do, Ruby. The good and the bad. We make each other happy. Can you please try to find a way to accept that I'm with him now?"

          "But, Belles, you hated him for so long," Ruby protested.

          "Because I didn't really know him. I can't say I know everything about him now, but I know enough. The heart wants what the heart wants," Belle shrugged, trying to make her friend understand. "For the first time in my life I have someone who is putting my needs first. I have someone who makes me feel wanted and loved. I _choose_ to be with him, Ruby. Not because of some contract. That deal I made with him may have started all this, but it's so much more now."

          "Does he love you, Belles?"

          "He does, very much."

          Ruby scooted her chair closer to Belle's and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, laying her head on her friend’s shoulder. "I just don't want you to be hurt. You've always been so strong and had to deal with so much … I just want you to be happy."

          Belle laughed and brushed away her own tears on the back of her sleeve. "I'd be happiest if my best friend could pretend to get along with the man I love."

          Ruby smiled, showing every one of her sharp teeth. "I will endeavor to do my best!"

          "That's all I can ask."

 

*.*.*

 

          Emma and Mary Margaret came an hour later to drag Ruby back to the B&B. They did their best to convince Belle to go with them, but Belle insisted she was going to sleep in her own bed. She didn't want to tell them about Gold being drunk upstairs and that she wasn't about to leave him in his sorry condition. Knowing him, if she left, he'd think her being there for him in the night had all been a dream. She locked the door and made her way back upstairs to Gold's bedroom.

          He was still in the same position she'd left him in, snuffling softly into his pillow. She stood for long moment, chewing thoughtfully on her bottom lip, trying to decide whether she should return to her own room or stay with him as he'd asked. She'd promised, but the point would be moot if he remembered nothing of this evening. But if he did remember, she would have kept her word and had the added bonus of sleeping in his arms.

          She removed his dress shirt and hung it over the back of a chair before climbing in to curl up at his side. She stifled a yawn as she pulled the comforter over them both, smiling when he shifted in his sleep and curled his arm protectively over her waist. Yes, she'd definitely stay.

 

*.*.*

 

          The tiny men with the pick axes hammering away at his brain, brought Gold to full awareness with a groan of misery. The scent of roses assailed his nose, causing him to take stock of his whereabouts. Had he by some fluke of destiny fallen asleep in the garden? No, there wouldn't be roses until spring. Something warm and soft shifted against his side and he froze, carefully prying his eyes open a crack. The sight before him caused a slight wave of panic to erupt in his chest.

          His arms were wrapped around Belle's shoulders and upper back, clasping her tightly so her head was resting on his chest. One of her arms was trapped between them, the other wrapped about his torso and her leg was thrown over his hip with his thigh resting between both of hers. Gods, what had he done last night!?

          The flood of memories from the previous evening brought a fresh stab of pain to his throbbing head. Had he really told Belle … Oh. Dear. Gods! She probably thought he'd completely lost his mind. He'd told her about the Dark Castle. He'd told her he loved her and had begged her to forgive him. He couldn't let her know he remembered  _anything_  from last night. And what he'd done to her?

          He had to bite back a whimper as he thought about how far he'd gone with her. What the hell had he been thinking?! If he'd actually made love to her before her memories returned, she'd hate him … maybe. No, she would. Her last memory of him from their realm would be of him tossing her out. Yes, she would hate him for taking advantage of her. Damn! He couldn't think. His head hurt too badly.

          Gold buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes as Belle shifted against him. She pulled the comforter over her head and sighed deeply as she pressed her lips to his bare chest and hooked her leg more securely over his hip. His voice was a hoarse whisper when he asked, "Was there something wrong with your bed last night, my Belle?"

          Belle was smiling smugly when she leaned back to meet his gaze. "No, not that I'm aware of. You asked me to stay, so I stayed," she stated simply, waiting patiently to see if he remembered the events of the previous evening.

          "Did I?" he asked, his voice an octave higher as he swallowed nervously. "I don't recall inviting you into my bed." She seemed to curl inward as the lie fell from his lips and guilt stabbed at his chest because he wasn't being honest with her.

          "You asked me to stay, Gold." Her voice was so filled with disappointment it was like a physical pain directed to his heart and he couldn't do it. He couldn't lie to her.

          "I do remember something."

          "You do?" she asked hopefully, her face lighting up.

          "I told you I loved you," he said, dipping his head to press his lips lightly to hers. "And yes," he whispered softly against the corner of her mouth. "I remember asking you to stay."

          Belle snuggled deeper into his embrace and sighed with contentment. "Did you mean it? Do you love me?"

          He rolled onto his back and pulled her onto his chest. "I do, sweetheart. I always have."

          "You were pretty out of it last night. You weren't making any sense," she said hesitantly, searching his face.

          "I'm sorry if I frightened you, my Belle, but I didn't lie to you." He was really struggling not to sound like a madman. "Do you trust me?"

          "Yes," she said honestly.

          "Then believe me when I tell you this. Your memories of our past will come back to you and everything I said last night will be clear. I just pray that when you remember, you will forgive me for what I did."

          "That bad, hmm?"

          A grimace twisted his features. "You could say that."

          "And this … what I need to forgive you for … that's why you've been pushing me away?" she asked, wanting him to confirm what she'd already worked out last night in her head.

          "Belle, sweetheart. I know you love me now, but when you remember what I did to you … you could very well change your mind. I may be a monster, but I'm not so horrible I would steal your virtue and then have you resent me for it. I love you too much to hurt you like that," he vowed, pressing his fingers to her lips when she wanted to protest.

          "You're  _not_  a monster, Gold. You're a good man and I love you. That's not going to change. However, we'll wait if that's what you want."

          "Can I still have my kisses?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at her playfully.

          "If you insist," she teased, the breath catching in her throat as his hands slipped under her top to run his fingertips over the bare flesh of her back to press her closer.

          "Oh, yes, love. We have a deal after all."

          "I think the deal is moot. It's outdated now that we're in love," she giggled, nibbling softly along his jaw.

          "No one breaks deals with me, dearie," he said out of habit.

          "Perhaps we can amend it?"

          He quirked a suspicious brow at her. "What did you have in mind?"

          "The kissing clause," she mumbled, nipping at his ear with her teeth.

          "I don't think I want you to kiss me because you're obligated to hold up your end of the deal. I want you to kiss me whenever you like and because you want to," he said his voice taking on a serious tone as he cupped her face in his hands to stare deeply into her cerulean orbs.

          "That's exactly what I had in mind."

          "But Valentine's Day is still a must. I have a few more clauses I might like to add to our contract," he murmured as she slipped to his side and threw her leg over both of his, her head coming to rest on his shoulder as if it belonged there.

          "Such as?"

          "You'll have to wait for Valentine's Day to find out."

 

*.*.*

 

          "Gold, you can't do that!" Belle protested, staring at him as if he had suggested it just to spite the lovers of Storybrooke. She had walked with him out to the car as he prepared to leave for work, and she could practically feel the eyes of his neighbors boring into his back. He'd brought up the subject of Valentine's Day, a day which had snuck up on them when they weren't looking.

          He wanted to take her to dinner tomorrow at  _The Wonderland Garden,_ a sweet little out of the way bistro on the other side of town. It was run by an eccentric gentleman named Jefferson Madden, a good friend of Belle's. The atmosphere catered to lovers who wanted to have privacy while dining as well as some of the best local cuisine to be found in the tiny hamlet of Storybrooke. But Gold wanted to reserve the entire restaurant for their own personal use for the evening and she didn't feel it was fair to deprive other couples of the chance to dine there as well.

          "Would it be so terrible to spoil you, love? We could have all the privacy we want without anyone looking over our shoulder," he argued, trying to get her to see things from his perspective.

          She moved into the circle of his arms - damn the neighbors; let them get an eyeful - where they stood next to the car and tucked her head under his chin as she toyed with the knot of his tie. "You already spoil me. But it makes me wonder …"

          "Wonder what, sweetheart?" he asked, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head and nuzzling his nose against her soft hair.

          Belle sighed, realizing she was being a bit insecure. "Are you ashamed to be seen in public with me?" she asked in a small voice. It was already bad enough people were looking at her differently because she was his housekeeper. She could very well imagine how they would react when they found out she was in a relationship with him. Not that she was concerned with what other people thought of their relationship. They loved each other and that was the most important thing.

          Gold stopped breathing for a moment at her bold question. Cupping her face in his hands, he tilted her face up to meet his gaze. "How could you even think that? I would never feel shame for having you on my arm," he said adamantly, pressing his brow to hers as her arms slipped around his waist. "But you're not a decoration either. You are my equal, my partner, and the woman I love."

          He caught sight of the mailman over Belle's shoulder. The man had dropped a hand full of mail he'd been about to shove into Gold's mailbox to the ground at his feet and was openly gawking at the woman brave enough to get that close to the town monster. Gold narrowed his gaze on the shocked postal worker and said in a voice loud enough to carry, "I'm going to have to go over the books this morning and see who isn't paying enough rent."

          Belle glanced over her shoulder to watch the mailman retrieve the mail he'd dropped, shove it into the mailbox and scurry away. "Behave, Gold," she admonished, returning her attention to the man in her arms and biting back a laugh. "If it's privacy you want, we could always stay here at home. I could cook …"

          "No, out of the question. I want to take you out," he insisted, nibbling lightly at her bottom lip. "I want to buy you a nice dinner and lavish you with affection." He molded his lips to hers and delved his hand in the soft curls at her nape. "I want to shower you with gifts …"

          Belle dragged her lips from his and stood on her toes to press them against the shell of his ear. "I don't need gifts, I need you. I want to stay home and spend the evening making love," she purred softly, her breath tickling his ear and causing a shiver of delight to trip up his spine.

          "Belle, we've … uh … oh, just there, love," he growled as she nipped the sensitive flesh below his ear. "We've already discussed this."

          "Fine," she murmured and dropped back to her feet. She didn't go farther than the tight circle of his arms. "I still don't have to like it."

          "Are you still having those dreams?"

          "Yes. I'm still dreaming of the spinning wheel and the strange green and gold man," she replied with a sigh of irritation. "Are you sure those dreams are my suppressed memories?"

          "I'm very certain. Those are your memories from our life together before we were cursed. Belle, you  _will_  remember, I promise. Then we can begin our life together if you still wish it," he said, a worried frown wrinkling his brow.

          She smoothed her fingertips along his brow, her touch soothing the crease away. "None of that now. I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not," she told him, her lips finding the underside of his jaw for a kiss.

          He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear and tried to smile. "What are you going to be doing today, hmm?" he asked, trying to distract her.

          "Just my usual Saturday lunch with the girls at Granny's. Would you like to join us?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

          "I don't think so, pet. No, you enjoy your lunch and I will see you this evening."

          Belle's hands glided over his shoulders and along his nape to tug gently at the ends of his hair, pulling him forward to meet his lips with hers. She kissed him with all the pent-up desire she felt for him until they were both breathless and wanting nothing more than to retreat back into the house and finish what she'd started. His deep brown eyes were nearly black when she finally pulled away from him and stepped back, her hand still entwined with his. "Don't work too hard," she said, smiling softly.

          "Belle, I love you."

          She let go of his hand and let him climb into the car. "I love you, too."

 

*.*.*

 

          "So, how was the sleepover? Did you ever get to finish the movie, Emma?" Belle asked as Ruby set a cheeseburger on the table in front of her.

          "Yeah, she did. Our tough-as-nails Emma loves her chick flicks," Ruby laughed before she returned to the pick-up window. Emma threw a fry at her back.

          Mary Margaret sipped her iced tea and frowned. "It's a shame Ruby had to work today. We could have gone shopping together for a dress to wear tomorrow."

          "Oh, really? And where is David taking you for the big Valentine's dinner?" Emma asked, waggling a brow at her roommate.

          "Shh! Not so loud," Mary Margaret warned, her face suffusing with color.

          "Geez, it's just us. Besides, you two can't be in the same room without everyone seeing the puppy eyes you make at each other. It's actually quite nauseating and sweet." Emma took a bite of her grilled cheese and rolled her eyes.

          "We're going to The Wonderland Garden," she said, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

          Belle perked up at the news. "Really? We are, too," she gushed, dipping a fry into the pool of ketchup on her plate. Her friends blinked at her blankly. "What?"

          "Who are you going with?" Emma asked, frowning.

          "With Gold, of course," Belle said as if her two friends were being dense. "Who did you think I'd be going with?"

          Emma snorted. "Well, he has been keeping you locked away in his lair. I'm just surprised he's taking you out at all."

          "Haha, very funny," Belle snarked dryly.

          A soft smile lit up Emma's face as the bell rang over the door and Henry, the son she shared with Regina, bounded into the diner. "Hi, Emma," he beamed at her, sitting next to Belle in the booth and placing his storybook of fairytales on the table before him. "Hi, Belle, Miss Blanchard," he greeted.

          "What's up, kid? Snuck out of the house again?"

          Henry grinned and nodded. "Mom had an appointment she just couldn't miss, so I thought I'd come to see you."

          Belle pushed her plate aside and ran her hand over the leather cover of Henry's book. "What are you reading, Henry?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

          Henry's eyes narrowed thoughtfully on Belle, but it was Emma who answered. "Oh, you know, he's using that book to match all the citizens of Storybrooke with their fairytale counterpart."

          Belle regarded Henry with amusement. "Are you really?" she asked the precocious ten-year-old. "Have you had any success?"

          "Sure," he said happily, pleased someone else might be persuaded to believe his theory. "Have a look. This," he pointed to a couple illustrated on the page. "This is Mary Margaret and David Nolan … Snow White and Prince Charming." He leaned over and whispered in Belle's ear, "Emma is their daughter, by the way."

          Belle looked up sharply at Emma who was pinching the bridge of her nose. "Uh, okay."

          He flipped to another page. "This is Cinderella, but here she's Ashley." Belle felt an angry flush creep up her neck, still angry at the girl for what she'd done to Gold. "This is Ava and Nicholas, Hansel and Gretel."

          "What about Ruby? Is she in your book?"

          "Yeah, Ruby is Red Riding Hood." He leaned over again to whisper, "She's really the wolf." He laughed as Belle widened her eyes in alarm and emitted a startled laugh.

          Emma leaned her forearms on the table and winked at Belle before asking Henry, "Alright, kid, so who's Belle supposed to be?"

          His brow knit into a curious frown as he began searching through the book. Finally, he came to rest at a page displaying a beautiful woman dressed in a golden ball gown. Belle felt the fine hairs on the nape of her neck rise as a chill raced down her spine.

          The woman in the picture was facing a man sitting at a spinning wheel. His back was the only thing she could see, but she would have known him anywhere. He was the man who haunted her dreams. Henry's voice came to her as though he were speaking at the end of a long tunnel and she had to force herself to concentrate on what he was saying.

          "Belle is the princess from Beauty and the Beast," he stated simply as if it should be obvious to everyone.

          Mary Margaret grinned. "You have a thing for beasts, Belle. This really shouldn't come as a great surprise."

          "Henry, this man … who is he? I've seen his picture in more than one story. Who is the beast?" she breathed softly, unable to take her eyes from the illustration before her.

 _Why do you spin so much?_  She closed her eyes and tried to focus, willing the memory to the surface of her mind.

_It helps me forget._

_Forget what?_

_I guess it worked._  She smiled at his teasing tone as it played across her mind's eye. "Who is it, Henry?" she asked.

          "Oh," Henry said, excited she was so interested. "He wasn't just the beast. He was the most powerful sorcerer in the realm. And he was known by many names; the Dark One, the Spinner, the Deal-Maker. But it says in here that his real name was Rumpelstiltskin. I haven't been able to figure out who he is, yet."

          Belle gripped the table until her knuckles turned white and bloodless as her mind opened up like the petals of a rose in bloom.  _Rum … Rumpel … Rumpelstiltskin. True love … true love's kiss. Curse._

_It was working. Can't you see its true love?_

_No one can ever, ever love me._

_Go._

_My power means more to me than you._

_I don't want you anymore._

          "Belle? Belle, are you alright?" Mary Margaret asked, reaching across the table and laying her hand atop Belle's. "You don't look well."

          Her head felt as though it were about to split open as she opened her eyes to meet the worried stares of her friends. "Y-Yes, fine. I'll be fine. Just a headache." She nudged Henry so he could let her out of the booth. "Ruby, put our lunch on Gold's tab, would you please?" she asked as she retrieved her coat from the rack by the door.

          "Where are you going?" Emma asked, laying a hand on her shoulder to stop her from leaving.

          Belle smiled weakly and assured her again that she would be fine. "I just need to get home." Emma nodded and let her go. Belle took in great heaving breaths of the cold winter air into her lungs, willing her heart to stop trying to claw its way out of her chest as she began walking the short mile and a half to her home. Their home. She swiped angrily at her tears as the memories of his rejection flooded her mind.

          Now she understood why he was afraid to be intimate with her. He was afraid she wouldn't want him anymore, that she didn't love him. She might be furious with him, but her anger had nothing to do with her love. She had always loved him, _would_ always love him. They shared love in the purest of ways … true love.

          People loved in many different ways, but it took two very special hearts to have what they shared. And he was no longer running, no longer pushing her away, and had confessed that no matter what she decided, he would always feel the same. He was doing here what he couldn't do before. He was giving his heart to her and it was up to her whether or not she wanted to accept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I want to thank everyone for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favs. I apologize to anyone I may have upset because I'm not following the timeline of the canon, but I am trying to create something new and unique and sometimes the canon doesn't fit well with what's going on in my head.
> 
> One more chapter to go! Thank you to all my lovelies who have stuck with me this far. And to my lovely friend Emilie Brown for staying up with me until the wee hours in the morning chatting. You keep me from losing my mind when my muse refuses to co-operate. Love you all. And Twyla Mercedes … yes, I'm still laughing and will definitely be using your stellar idea in the last chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, this is it. Final chapter. I want the thank Twyla Mercedes for her brilliant idea of having Gold visit Dark Star Pharmacy. And that's all I'm going to reveal about that … don't want to spoil it. I can't tell you all how happy I am so many of you wrote in telling me how much you've enjoyed this little piece of Valentine fluff. Love to you all. I tried to respond personally to all my reviewers, and if I missed you, it was not intentional.
> 
> Warning: Adult themes ... situations ... smut ... the usual :D
> 
> So, anyway … I feel bad about not posting yesterday, so guess what?! I’m giving y’all the last chapter tonight!!! I really hope you all enjoy!

          He was late. It was well after ten o'clock when he made his way through the front door and ambled down the hall to the kitchen. He moved to the refrigerator and removed a Tupperware container to transfer it to the microwave to warm. His Belle's cooking, even reheated, was better than the frozen dinners she'd subjected him to the week before in her upset.

          She'd, no doubt, never feed him again once her memories returned. How could she possibly still love him when she remembered what he'd done? He was not optimistic. The last three weeks, having her in his home, sharing his life with her, had been the happiest he'd ever had in this land and he didn't want to think about the time when she would realize how callous and cruel he had been and leave for good.

          Gold set the container in the sink and removed his tie and jacket. He had two choices as to what he would give her for Valentine's Day, he thought with a smile as he removed the two jewelry boxes from the pocket of his discarded jacket and set them on the table. One held a pair of amber and diamond earrings which would perfectly match the dress he'd chosen for her.

          The other contained a ring, a perfect ring for his perfect love. It had been collecting dust in the shop for as long as he could remember, a perfect round sapphire solitaire flanked by two square cut diamonds. The sapphire was the exact shade of Belle's eyes when they were filled with desire and he longed to see it on her finger. He longed to see her wearing his ring and nothing else. He had spent the evening cleaning and polishing the antique platinum setting until it shone brilliantly on the off chance she might remember and give him the opportunity to propose.

          It was an impossible dream. She'd never want to tie herself to someone like him, not after he'd cast her out. But then, this was Belle. She had the purest heart of anyone he'd ever known. She'd loved him as the Dark One and she'd fallen in love again with his cursed persona. Perhaps there was hope for him yet if he could keep his own self-loathing at bay. But the waiting was torture and left his mind open to begin doubting himself once again.

          Belle would be in bed by now, so he went into the library to spin for a while, hoping it would help him to put aside his mournful thoughts and lose himself to the peace and oblivion only his spinning wheel could bring.

          The faint glow of the fire illuminated the crack under the double doors as he pushed them open and moved to the wheel, turning on the lamp before sitting down. Lost deep in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the slight form of his love where she rested on the sheepskin rug before the hearth where she lay reading by the light of the fire.

          Belle heard him open the door and move quietly to his wheel, setting her book aside and turning on her stomach to watch him. Her gaze was scrutinizing as she took him in. He was so different in this world, but she could see her imp in his sharp features. Deep down he was still her Rumpel.

          He was human and without his precious magic here, but he still held power. She wondered if his thirst for some form of power would ever be quenched, but it was who he was. He had changed so much. The wild hair was now straight and soft, his amber eyes now a deep warm sable brown and his skin no longer held a sickly hue. There were no more wild and flamboyant posturing and dramatic gestures, and she couldn't decide which of his forms she desired more.

          He was both and she loved him. No matter how much anger she'd felt when her memories had returned and she’d remembered his callous disregard of her feelings, there was no denying she still loved him. He was hers and she would never give him up. In this world, he could kiss her. He'd more than proven that over the last few weeks and he was unafraid to show her how much he loved her. But there was so much she still didn't know about him and she could only pray he would share his past with her. She wanted to know what made such sadness lurk behind his eyes, pain he tried so hard to hide from her. But would he give that much to her?

          "Did you eat?" she asked in quiet voice, not wanting to startle him.

          Gold's hand twitched on the wheel as his gaze flew to hers. "Belle …" he breathed into the peace and stillness of the library, his voice carrying to her. "I thought you would be in bed, dearest," he said, his lips curving into a warm smile. He shook off his distraction and looked down at his hands. "And yes, I ate what you left me in the refrigerator. I'm sorry I wasn't home in time to have dinner with you."

          "I missed you," she smiled, her jewel-bright eyes glowing with love and warmth and sincerity in the light of the fire. He could only think of how beautiful she looked, lying on the rug, covered with the wolf's fur blanket which usually rested on the back of the sofa. Her arms were folded around a large throw pillow, her chin resting atop the soft fabric. He closed his eyes briefly and rose from the bench before the wheel, moving to stand at her side.

          "I missed you as well, my Belle," he murmured, having to clear his throat and try again when his voice failed him. Gold toed off his shoes and took the hand she held out to him in invitation, dropping onto his good knee and stretching out beside her. She turned on her side to face the fire and he spooned into her back, his arm draping about her waist atop the blanket and pulling her back tightly against his chest.

          There was something different about her this evening, a difference he wasn't quite able to put his finger on, but there, nonetheless. She was too quiet, distracted, as if something were bothering her. He combed his fingers through her unbound tresses and gently pressed his lips to her ear. Her body trembled with pleasure against his as he nipped the flesh beneath her ear and she emitted a ragged sigh, pressing her hips back against him.

          Belle kept her eyes on the dancing flames as she nestled against him, their embrace never having felt as right as it did at that moment. She felt his love wrap around her, enveloping her, and knew she'd never let herself be parted from him again. Her voice held only a hint of anxiety of his reaction when she whispered, "You owe me a story."

          He was so distracted by her closeness, he almost didn't hear her. It didn't register on him that he'd heard those same words before, so long ago. "What would you like to hear, love?" he asked. He was losing himself in her scent, the heady mix of roses and Belle and … him?

          He could smell himself on her. He touched the collar of the shirt she wore and realized it was his. A surge of pure possessiveness sparked through him at the sight of her draped in his clothes and he clutched her tighter, so their bodies were flush against one another and his erection was pressed firmly to her lower back.

          Belle maintained her position on the rug. She was afraid to move, scared to breathe as the next words fell from her lips. "You promised to tell me about your son."

          Gold's posture became as stone as he froze behind her, the color draining from his face and leaving it ashen. He couldn't dare to hope as he felt his heart come to a stuttering halt in his chest only to begin galloping against his ribs, the blood racing, icy with fear throughout his body. "W-When did I promise …"

          His voice trailed off as she turned over in his arms and met his gaze. It was hard to read the expression she wore. There was no hint of anger, no sign of disgust and hate, only open curiosity and the mystery of what she was truly feeling causing his frown to deepen. "You promised the day you sent me into town. The little trip to buy straw when you never expected me to return. The day I kissed you and sent you into a rage. The same day you told me your power meant more to you than me."

          The weight of her calm statement settled in his chest and crushed the breath from his lungs, making it impossible to speak. He couldn't breathe, couldn't find the words to tell how sorry he was, what a fool he had been. He would forever regret the events of that day which had led to him casting her from their home, and he would make up for it every day of his life if she would but give him the chance. He sat up, pulling her along with him and cradling her face in his hands. "You remember," he breathed, searching her eyes. "You remember me … us?"

          "Yes," she stated simply, brushing at the moisture gathering at the corner of his eyes. "I remember everything."

          And then he couldn't stop the flow of words which poured from his mouth in a tortured whisper, as though a dam had broken and nothing could stop the flood. "I'm so sorry, Belle. I regretted it the moment you left. I was a fool and a coward, and you deserve so much better than me. I love you so much, my Belle …"

          "Stop!" she cried, unable to bear the pain in his eyes a moment longer. Yes, he deserved to have to sit there and agonize for everything which had gone so terribly wrong in their past, but she loved him too much to watch him suffer a moment longer. She brushed her lips to his in a feather-light kiss and stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "Stop, Rumpelstiltskin. Please."

          "I was so horrible to you and I'm sorry, love. So sorry." His head dropped to her shoulder and she could feel his tears soaking into her hair, causing tears to spring to her own eyes as he silently begged for her forgiveness.

          She petted his hair and rubbed soothing circles into his back. Her sensitive spinner was who she held in her arms, the Dark One conspicuously absent. This was the  _man_  who held her heart. "Why didn't you come after me?" she asked.

          He lifted his head and felt himself drowning in the pools of her eyes, her gaze filled with everything he'd given up, given up because he thought she'd betrayed him. "I did. After Regina told me you'd died, I didn't want to believe her. I searched for you, Belle, but it was as though your light had been extinguished."

          "My light?" she asked, raising one puzzled brow.

          He nuzzled into her hand and placed a lingering kiss on her palm as she stroked his cheek. "Your essence is like a bright golden flame, love. I've never encountered another like it. It captivates me, always has. When you agreed to our deal, it wrapped around me, warmed me and I could always sense you no matter where you were. And then it was gone."

          She laid back against the pillow and pulled him down next to her. It was late and she was exhausted, the headache which had plagued her all day, sapping her strength. Her hands twisted into his open collar and pulled him down next to her. "I was returning to you when she captured me."

          "You were coming back?" he asked, his features twisting with pain and the hope that all was not lost between them.

          "I was … I was coming back, determined to make you see you were wrong, that I wasn't working with the queen to destroy you, that I really did love you." She fought against the lump which had formed in her throat and threatened to choke her. "She locked me in a tower in the winter palace until the curse. She said she was saving me from a life of pain and suffering at the hands of a monster."

          He leaned up on his elbow and propped his head in his hands, gazing down on her. "It's my fault, Belle. I never should have let you go. I'm not going to be a coward any longer … at least where you're concerned."

          "No more hiding from me?" she asked, a small fond smile toying at her lips.

          "No more hiding, love. I can't do this without you, Belle. You make me a better man. You give me hope that I can be better than what I was … if you can forgive me. I know it's asking too much of you, but …"

          She claimed his mouth with hers, capturing his bottom lip between her own. "I love you. I forgive you," she whispered against the corner of his mouth. "You're mine, Rumpelstiltskin, and I'll never let you send me away again. You promised me forever, remember? It's time I held you to that vow."

          Gold held himself back, his old insecurities rising to the surface. "Are you certain? You deserve so much better than me."

          She tugged harder on his shoulders, her grip strong for someone with her diminutive stature. "You're mine, Rumpelstiltskin, and I'm yours. That's never going to change. We deserve our happily ever after."

          "Forever, my Belle, my love …" he moaned, his words trailing off as he took her lips in a searing kiss, one filled with longing and hope and all the love he felt for her, his tongue meeting hers and searching out all the hidden places in her mouth which brought her pleasure. She was whole again, and she was _his_ , as unbelievable as he found it. She wasn't running for the door screaming she would never forgive him, instead she was wrapped securely in his arms promising him forever. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming," he pleaded with her as his hand skimmed down her side to squeeze her hip.

          Belle smiled against his lips. "If you are, this is a really,  _really_  good dream."

          Gold drew back to look at her in surprise as his hand encountered her lace-covered behind as it traveled down to the back of her bare thigh. "What do you have on under my shirt, Miss French?" he asked, exploring her smooth skin at his leisure as she let a small frustrated whimper escape her alabaster throat.

          A lovely blush rose to stain her cheeks at his teasing tone. "Um … it was a gift from this wonderful man I happen to be madly in love with," she teased, her voice husky with desire.

          He pulled his hand away and raised a brow at her. "I don't know if I like you wearing something given to you by a former paramour."

          Belle tugged on the ends of his hair and poked him in the ribs with a sharp fingernail. "I don't have any former paramours and you know it," she said with a breathy laugh, her fingers going to the buttons of his shirt and releasing them one by one, her lips finding the hollow of his throat. She raised her leg to drape it over his hip and he bucked against her, the heat of her core coming in delicious contact with his swollen member where it strained against his trousers.

          "Belle …" The blanket had somehow gotten tangled around their legs and he pushed it off with his foot, concentrating on freeing the buttons on her shirt without having to take his mouth from hers. When the last one gave way, he spread it apart and gazed down on her, his mouth going dry as a desert to see his beloved clad in black lace … the same black lace camisole and boy shorts he'd chosen for her on a whim. Only the best for his darling Belle. The lace made a sharp contrast against her creamy skin and he growled in supreme satisfaction as he ran a finger over the swell of her breasts.

          She sucked in a sharp breath at the contact and arched her back into his palm. His hesitant touches weren't enough, she wanted, no needed more. She wanted to lose herself beneath his touch, his lips, his softly spoken words of love, but reality intruded on her with a sickening jolt.

          "What is it, sweetheart? What's wrong?" he asked, his worried frown mirroring her own.

          She had meant to voice her concerns before letting things progress this far, but had become distracted under the onslaught of his lips. She sat up and turned to him with a slight smile meant to reassure she wasn't rejecting him, her fingers brushing the hair away from his eyes. "I want this, Rum, I do. But I have a few concerns."

          He visibly relaxed at her words and took her hand in his, gently kissing each of her fingertips. "Tell me. Whatever they are, we will deal with them until your mind is set at ease."

          "I'm not so innocent I don't know this is how babies are made, Rumpel. Regina is still a threat to us, and I can't see bringing a child into this world with her watching our every move. And you don't have magic here to prevent us from …" she let her sentence trail off, embarrassed to have to talk to him about something she viewed as too delicate from her way of thinking.

          He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling. She was so precious to him and all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and ease her fears. "Belle, love, is this your way of asking me if I have protection?"

          "Don't you dare laugh at me," she warned as he pulled her against his chest and tucked her head beneath his chin.

          "I would never laugh at you, my darling," he promised, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head and glancing at the clock on the mantle above the hearth. "Unfortunately, Dark Star Pharmacy is closed for the evening." The thought of a mad dash to the pharmacy for condoms was out of the question.

          He felt her sigh of disappointment against his bare chest. "And you have none here?" she asked, putting voice to her complaint.

          This time he couldn't hide the grin spreading across his lips. "Why would I, love? I haven't touched a woman in years."

          Belle chewed her lip thoughtfully, inwardly pleased by his admission. "I guess we're back to waiting?" she asked, sliding her hand along his bare stomach, and reveling as it contracted against her hand as he inhaled sharply and grabbed her hand.

          "It won't be for long, I assure you." But the mental picture of his Belle, ripe and swollen with his child dug in and wouldn't let him go. "Um … Belle, love. If Regina weren't a threat … would you, ah … would having a child with me be something you'd want?" he asked, his eloquence with words failing him.

          Belle searched his eyes, a solemn smile on her lips as she answered. "That's something I would very much like to have with you, Rum." She pressed her lips to his, trying to show him she wasn't playing on his hopes and dreams, that she wanted it as much as he did. "I can't think of anything that would make me happier than to make a child with you."

          "You'd make a wonderful mother, my Belle. Regina will not always be in power and then we can have this discussion again," he vowed.

          They were silent for a long while, content to lie in the other's arms, happy to have time together and bask in their love and the thought that they would finally have a chance at a bright future.

          "Rumpel, will you stay with me down here tonight?" she asked, nipping lightly at his ear, relishing the shiver which made him tremble in her arms. "I want to sleep in your arms."

          Gold rolled onto his side and pulled her tightly into his embrace, reaching down to pull the blanket up over them. "As my love wishes."

          Belle snuggled closer, pressing into his warmth as she muffled her yawn against the crook of his neck. "Now … tell me about your son."

          Before, when she'd asked, he had done his best to avoid the subject. His chest had tightened in fear and trepidation at the thought of sharing his past, the horrible deeds he'd done. He had suffered great anxiety over the thought of spilling his secrets and having her look on him as a monster, a coward. He'd been afraid to see loathing on her beautiful features, afraid to have her fear him.

          Now, surrounded by her love, he felt those fears slip away and it made him feel even more of a fool for rejecting her love so long ago. He kissed her temple, the soft tendrils of her hair soft against his lips and he could feel her smile against his skin. "His name is Baelfire …"

 

*.*.*

 

          Sunday morning … Valentine's Day - a day where he wouldn't have to open the shop - couldn't have coincided more perfectly with the special day set aside for lovers. _His_ love to be more specific. There was still much to be done, but first he had to rouse Belle and send her off to Ruby’s. He knew full well she was going to protest, but he didn't want her tagging along after him while he planned their evening. He wanted it to be a surprise.

          The ring in his pocket felt as though it would burn through the cloth of his pants at any moment. She had been returned to him, body, soul and mind intact, and he didn't want to wait a moment longer than necessary to secure her promise of forever, to accept his proposal and pledge her love for him by becoming his wife.

          Last night she'd remained awake through his long story of how he'd lost his son because of his cowardice, how he'd become the Dark One and the evil he was capable of. She'd cried and he along with her at times as he bared his soul to her. Never once had she judged him harshly, never once withdrawing the love she'd given so freely, where anyone else would have run screaming, his Belle was steadfast in her love for him. His past was riddled with crimes against humanity and in no way did he deserve her, but he knew he couldn't live without her a moment longer and never again would he allow them to be parted.

          Pain shot through his bad ankle, tendrils of agony wrapping around the tendons and muscles to settle in his knee and thigh before traveling back to the point of origin once again. He was beginning to regret sleeping on the hearth rug, knowing he'd suffer for it throughout the day, but one look down at the sleeping form of his beloved wrapped around him and breathing softly against his neck made the pain a bit more bearable.

          Gold shifted onto his back, bringing Belle to lie atop him. She raised her head to glare at him, yet her hold on him never slackened. In fact, it tightened in his collar-length brown hair as she pressed her lips to his, her glare morphing into a smile, her eyes still heavily-lidded with sleep and her hair tousled in a chestnut halo about her head. To him, she'd never been more beautiful.

          "Good morning, sweetheart. Happy Valentine's Day," he said, his hands slipping under her shirt to rub the bare skin of her back. Not necessarily his first thoughts of what he wanted to do, but he didn't feel like letting them get carried away this morning. No, he would save those thoughts and ideas for later.

          Belle nipped at his bottom lip and arched into him, a moan escaping her at the feel of his calloused spinner's hands caressing her back and sides. "Good morning, Rum. Did you sleep well? Because I can't remember the last time I slept so peacefully."

          "I did indeed, although my leg tends to disagree." He stopped her when she would have risen. "I'll be fine, love."

          She smiled - though it didn't match the worry in her eyes - and gave him another kiss before wriggling from his embrace and grabbing his leg, settling it on her lap and working her fingers over the centuries-old injury. "Do you think I should get you an ice pack or the heating pad?" she asked, trying to soothe him.

          He sat up with a scowl. "Belle, I don't need you to treat me like an invalid. I've dealt with this for longer than you've been alive," he snapped, trying to take his leg back from her firm grip.

          She pushed him back against the pillow and resumed her task, her fingers kneading a bit too hard and making him wince. "Now see what you made me do," she complained, gentling the pressure she was exerting. "I'm just trying to help you, Rumpel. I have never treated you like an invalid or a cripple or anything except the powerful man that you are. I think I resent your implications."

          Gold was instantly contrite at the sight of her trembling lower lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply …"

          "Good," she said, setting his leg back atop the blanket and rising to her feet. She grinned devilishly as his eyes were drawn to her bare legs and let his gaze rove over her slender thighs. "Shall I start breakfast?"

          "Um …" He licked his suddenly dry lips and forced his gaze to meet hers. "How about having breakfast at Granny's?"

          "Are you certain?" she asked, holding out her hands and helping him to his feet. He leaned heavily on her shoulders until he was able to steady himself enough with his cane to manage on his own. Land without magic or no, she held power in her deft little hands, and he was able to walk without too much difficulty.

          "Yes, I think we'll go out for breakfast and then you and Ruby can spend the day pampering yourselves before your dates this evening."

          "How did you know Ruby had a date?"

          Gold snorted. "When does that particular friend of yours  _not_  have a date?" he asked, his trademark smirk curling one side of his mouth.

          "But I thought we would be spending the day together," she said, her mouth pursed into a pout. "We just found each other again."

          How could he not kiss her after that? When they finally came up for air, they were clinging to each other and he was fighting the urge to carry her off to his bed … condoms or not. "I just want this day to be special for you, my Belle. You trust me, do you not?"

          "Of course."

 

*.*.*

 

          A peaceful breakfast at the diner was not in the cards for them, and Gold was praying it wasn't a reflection on the events of the day yet to come. This was to be their first appearance in public as a couple, if you didn't count the spectacle they'd made in the driveway the day before. He was going to have that mailman fired, the blabbermouth. But Belle entering the diner on his arm, nestled close to his side drew the stare of every occupant, their mundane conversations grinding to a halt like the scratch of a needle on a record.

          He led her to a booth in the back and climbed in, surprised she chose to sit on the same side with him, so close her hip pressed into his. He was further surprised when she leaned into him and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth before sitting back and picking up her menu. She acted as though it were the most natural thing in the world for her to do so, as if she hadn't just rendered half of the inhabitants of Storybrooke incapable of speech. If that wasn't bad enough, he blushed. He actually blushed! And the smile which spread over his face was rare and genuine, the one he reserved for his Belle. You could have heard a pin drop in the dining establishment.

          "What's everyone staring at? Haven't you ever seen two people kissing before? What's wrong with you?" Ruby snapped as she came in from the rear entrance and took in the situation, hands on her hips and glaring at the gawking patrons. "As you were." She flopped into the booth and smiled at Belle and raised a brow at Gold.

          Belle giggled and hid behind her menu. Gold smirked at Ruby and gave her a nod. "Well done, Miss Lucas."

          Emma came in several minutes later and joined them, wondering over the still speechless patrons. "Did somebody die? What did I miss?" she asked, snatching a piece of toast from Ruby's plate. She hailed the waitress and ordered her usual hot chocolate and breakfast sandwich to go.

          "No, Em, they're just being irritating. It's not every day you see Gold smile like a lovesick teenager," Ruby sniggered.

          Gold flashed her a fake smile around a forkful of eggs and resumed eating. Belle cast her a warning look to which she held up her hands and promised she was just teasing. She and Gold had an understanding and as long as Belle was happy, so was Ruby. "Emma, are you going out tonight, or do you have to work?" Belle asked, sipping at her tea.

          "Gotta work. I gave Zel and Benny the night off so they could go out, and Graham has plans so I'm stuck working. But I'll be spending my break with Jefferson. He promised to cook for me. Has an entire little corner of the kitchen decked out with hearts and flowers and a lovely dinner for two," she said, waggling her brows. But she couldn't hide the pleased grin which played at her lips, no matter how much she tried.

          "Jefferson's a good man," Gold said absently, drawing stares from all three women. "What? He is. You could do a lot worse, Miss Swan." The waitress removed their dishes and Gold rested his arm along the back of the booth, his thumb drawing circles along Belle's shoulder.

          Gold nudged Belle out of the booth and went to settle the check, returning and giving her a kiss to her cheek. He placed four engraved invitations on the table. Very hard to come by invitations … unless you happen to be Mr. Gold. "Happy Valentine's Day, ladies," he bowed and left the diner, leaving three very stunned women in his wake.

          "Is that what I think it is?" Ruby asked, her eyes wide as dinner plates and just moments from squealing with delight and excitement.

          "I don't get it," Emma frowned, draining her mug and looking bewildered.

          Belle smiled fondly, thinking of how much he must have paid for her to share this with her three friends. "We're going to have to pry Mary Margaret away from David and have her meet us there."

          "Belle!" Ruby shrieked. "This is for the princess package at the Under the Sea Spa. How can you be so calm? We get to be pampered all day."

          "A spa?" Emma groaned.

          "Not a spa, Em … the spa of spas," Ruby gushed, a dreamy smile on her face. "Ariel runs it and I've only been wanting to go there forever."

          Emma groaned again and dropped her head into her hands, rubbing furiously at her temples to ward off the beginnings of a migraine. "Do I have to go? I've got to work this evening and I'd rather spend time with Henry before I do."

          "Emma!" Ruby scoffed. "Can't you just  _try_  to be a woman for a change? Come with us, relax, and enjoy the goodness! Henry will understand. He spends more time with you now than with Regina and the kid lives with her." Ruby grabbed her purse in one hand and dragged Emma out of the booth with the other. "Besides, the Earth is probably going to open up and swallow us in some freak catastrophe before we even get there."

          Emma's gaze jerked to her with a wry grin. "Yeah? And why is that?"

          "From the shock that Gold has the capacity to be this generous and not want anything in return. Another classic case of the pod people taking over," she said with a solemn nod. Emma couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled forth from her lips. “I don’t even want to think of how much extra Ariel charged to open up on a Sunday.”

          Belle grabbed her phone and dialed Mary Margaret who immediately agreed to meet them there in an hour, leaving a grumpy David behind at her apartment. She noticed a text which hadn't been there a moment ago.

 

_I hope you enjoy the first of your many gifts. I love you._

_– R_

 

*.*.*

 

          Gold stood back and surveyed the library, pleased with his handiwork. He'd never been what you would call a romantic man. He was more of a man who relied on scheming and manipulating. That would always be who he was, but for Belle, he would try to be romantic and loving. The scent of roses permeated the air, the fragrance wrapping around him and bringing a smile to his face. The entire room reminded him of the sweet scent which emanated from his beloved.

          Four dozen roses in crystal vases were spread about the room, each a symbol of his deep feelings for her. In the center of the coffee table sat a heart shaped box of chocolates, a token of his affection, and a candle sat on either side of it, ready to be lit that evening. Chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne were chilling in the refrigerator and the ring he'd chosen for her rested in his pocket. His stomach rolled over as his nerves threatened to get the better of him and send him into full blown panic.

          What if she didn't like it? What if she said no? What if …

          He knew he was being foolish, but centuries of doubting himself and running away from his emotions tended to stick with him no matter how he wished otherwise. He removed his phone from his pocket and dialed.

          "Sir?"

          "Did you deliver my gift to my girl?" he asked, unable to keep the smile from his voice.

          "I did, Mr. Gold. I left it with Mrs. Lucas. She promised to give it to Miss Belle when she and Miss Ruby returned from the spa," Dove replied.

          "Excellent. I will see you at eight," Gold said, pocketing the phone and making his way to the front door. He had one more thing to do before everything would be ready for the evening, and with time ticking away, he would rather not delay.

 

*.*.*

 

          A large gift box wrapped in gold paper with a big red bow was the first thing Belle noticed when she entered Ruby's bedroom, a long-stemmed red rose resting on top. Ruby flopped next to it on the bed and glanced at the card. "For you, Belles. Probably from lover boy Gold," she sing-songed, holding out the card and grinning widely. Belle doubted, after a day at the spa being pampered like a princess, Ruby would ever have a bad thing to say about Gold again.

          Belle was happy her dearest friend was trying to be supportive of her. She knew Ruby didn't want Belle to be hurt and it would be so much easier if she could tell her she had her memories back, tell her she didn't have anything to fear and hope she would understand. But she couldn't, not with the curse still in effect. No one could suspect she remembered and have the news reach Regina's ears. A small smile curved her lips as she took the card from Ruby's outstretched hand and ran her fingernail under the opening. It widened as she took in the words written in Gold's elegant looping scrawl.

 

_I took the liberty of selecting this for you, my love, in the hope you would wear it for me tonight. I regret the time we must be apart today, but I pray it will make our time together this evening that much sweeter. I love you._

_– R_

 

          Ruby bounced excitedly on the bed, her fingers itching to tear into the package if Belle made her wait a moment longer. "Come on, Belles. Are you going to open it or not?"

          Belle chuckled as she untied the bow and ripped away the paper. "I ought to make you wait," she teased. She lifted the top away and gasped, her hands reaching for the dress which lay within. It was simple and elegant with a sweetheart neckline, made of fine gold silk which would ripple about her and fall to just above her knees and the sleeves, though long, would do nothing to ward off the chill of mid-February. It would hug her curves and enhance the natural highlights in her hair. It was a dress meant to show off her beauty to its full advantage.

          "Wow, Belles. Gold has impeccable taste. Very classy," Ruby stated as Belle held the dress up against her and turned to the full-length mirror to admire it. "It makes my dress look like I got it out of the bargain bin."

          Belle snorted as she glanced at the dress Ruby had chosen where it hung on the back of the closet door. It was a lovely Red sequined cocktail dress cut up to here and down to there. Dr. Whale would be completely enraptured by her when he arrived to pick her up. "Ruby, you could wear a burlap sack and still be the most desirable female in the room. You're going to look lovely and Viktor won't be able to keep his hands off you."

          "That's the idea," Ruby said with a lascivious wiggle of her brow. After two months of flirting, texting and turning him down, she'd finally agreed to give him a chance. Ruby frowned on the doctor's reputation as a playboy and had refused him at every turn, not wanting to open herself up for heartache. He'd shown her his intentions were honorable by cutting himself off from every woman he'd ever dated and devoting his time solely to his pursuit of her.

          "So where is Viktor taking you for your first date, hmm?"

          "The Wonderland Garden," Ruby said, falling back against the pillows behind her. "I just hope I can stop this fit of yawning. I'm so relaxed after the spa, I could sleep for days."

          Belle laid her dress on the bed and smoothed the wrinkles before her hand dipped back into the gift box. There were stockings, shoes and underthings Gold had chosen to match, but it was the small velvet gift box which drew her attention. Ruby's eyes widened as they too fastened on the box and she squealed, moving closer for a better view.

          "Ooh, jewelry!" she exclaimed, waiting for Belle to lift the lid.

          They both gasped as a pair of amber and diamond earrings winked back at them, sparkling in the sunlight streaming in through the window. They reminded her of the color of Rumpelstiltskin's eyes from their time in the Dark Castle, the color they'd warmed to when he watched Belle when he thought she wasn't looking. And they would match her dress perfectly. She would be draped in  _his_  color, she would be on  _his_ arm, and everyone would know she belonged to him.

          She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and smiled. Four more hours. Winking at Ruby, she called dibs on the bathroom and disappeared behind the door to prepare herself for the memorable evening her true love had planned for them.

 

*.*.*

 

          Dark Star Pharmacy was packed with patrons, all last-minute shoppers for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for their sweethearts. What did they possibly think they would find in the bargain bin at five o'clock on the day in question? Yet men and women alike fought over stuffed bears and sappy eyed dogs bearing hearts that said, 'will you be mine', cheesy inexpensive cardboard hearts filled with mediocre chocolates and flower arrangements which looked as though they'd seen better days.

          It was all Gold could do to hold back a snort. Never would he shop for his Belle at Dark Star. He knew the value of a good gift and his beloved was worth it. The roses he'd purchased to grace her library had been hand delivered by his most trusted employee, bought from the only florist in town. He may hate Moe French with a flaming passion, but the man knew his flowers. The chocolates - yes, in a cheesy cardboard box - were purchased from the only candy shop in Storybrooke, but happened to be Belle's favorite maple creams, a far cry from what Dark Star Pharmacy had to offer. And if she wanted a teddy bear, well … she could snuggle with him all she liked.

          He made his way towards the register, his cane tapping on the ugly green speckled tile floor, avoiding the stares of the people milling about the store. It wasn't that he avoided them intentionally, he'd have to care to do that. Just because he was happier than he'd been in three decades, didn't mean he was going to start being nice to people and sporting a silly grin. He would try to be a better man for Belle, but when a landlord started being nice to his tenets, it never boded well for the landlord.

          He should've sent Dove on this errand, but he couldn't see himself asking the man to buy condoms. His Belle was worried about having a baby at this stage of their relationship and he couldn't say he blamed her. Not only with the threat of Regina hanging over their heads, but because there was still the curse to be broken and his son to find. And he had to admit to being a bit selfish for wanting to have some quality alone time with his true love before they brought children into the picture. Then he could enjoy watching his beloved swell with his child, not missing a moment of her pregnancy as he had been denied with his first wife when she'd been pregnant with Bae.

          Frankly, he didn't want to rush making love to Belle. If she was never ready, he'd be content just to have her next to him, in his home and by his side. But he still needed to take precautions for her peace of mind. He needed to be prepared … just in case.

          Gold caught David Nolan from the corner of his eye and smirked. The man was clueless. The pained expression on his face was obvious to everyone as he agonized over a display of Valentine's Day greeting cards. Regina really had done a number on him when she'd chosen his cursed memories. "Two Valentine's cards?" Gold asked, unable to contain the innate need to torment an easy mark. There was no doubt in his mind Nolan was buying one for his paramour and one for his wife. As if everyone in Storybrooke was unaware of his affair with the pretty schoolteacher. Or maybe it was only his wife who hadn't caught on yet.

          "Yeah," David muttered, ducking his head sheepishly, not really wanting to get drawn into a conversation with the pawn broker. "Couldn't decide."

          Gold spared a quick glance at the cards in David's hands. "Mary Margaret will like the one with the castle on it," he remarked in a nonchalant voice as though he couldn't care less.

          "Oh, uh … I, um…"

          "Miss Blanchard is in Belle's little circle of friends," he told the man as if that was explanation enough. "I've been sworn to secrecy."

          David flushed a bright red, unsure what to say.

          "You know, Mr. Nolan, a bouquet of flowers wouldn't be amiss," Gold said as the line began to move forward. David left his place in line to peruse the selection of floral arrangements at the rear of the store, glad to be away from Gold.

          Gold sighed wearily. Regina really should have her arse kicked for making the stalwart prince into a bumbling dolt.

          Mr. Clark's eyes widened as he met Gold's cold stare and he sneezed. "Mr. Gold, sir, I paid the rent last week," he stammered, his nasal tone grating to the ears in his fear of his landlord.

          This is what he got when he sent Dove on errands to make all his purchases. "I realize that, Clark. Not why I'm here. I'd like a twelve pack of Magnum XL's."

          Silence fell on the usually noisy store as heads popped up to peek over shelves and around corners. Wide-eyed gawking stares sought out the pawnbroker at the counter, due to the fact not a one of them could fathom who would be unfortunate enough to have gained Mr. Gold's amorous attentions.

          Clark seemed to be trying not to choke on his own tongue as he asked, "Sir?"

          Gold quirked a brow as he huffed irritably in his most condescending tone, "I want a twelve pack of Magnum XL's. They're condoms."

          Clark flushed with embarrassment, his face becoming nearly as red as his nose. He turned hurriedly and searched the shelf behind the counter, blanching as he turned back to Gold. "Um … one moment, M-Mr. Gold. I'll have to get them from the back." He took a halting step towards the intercom and pressed the button, his voice carrying through the store. "Howard, we need a pack of Magnum XL's up here at the register," he said, his voice trembling slightly. He turned back to Gold. "Will that be a-all, sir?"

          Several patrons moved surreptitiously towards the front of the store, wanting to make sure they weren't hallucinating and that it was, in fact, their feared landlord at the register buying condoms. A few of them were unable to hide their sniggers behind their hands in time to hide it from Gold. Without turning, Gold stated, "I assume everyone is comfortable with the rent they're paying at the present." His voice carried clear through the silence to no one in particular and the growing crowd dissipated, the patrons abandoning their would-be purchases and scurrying towards the door.

          Gold thought of his Belle as he considered Clark's question. "Let's get a second pack while I'm here."

          Clark once again moved to the intercom. "Howard, make that two packs." He returned to the register and waited for his clerk to bring the items to the counter, asking again, "Anything else, Mr. Gold, sir?"

          "That should do it," Gold said, swiping his debit card. He nearly collided with Emma as he turned, meeting her amused smile, her lips twitching with mirth. He knew Belle was going to hear about this and he'd never live it down.

          "Magnum XL's, huh? I'm impressed, Gold," Emma grinned, motioning to the plain brown paper sack in his hand. She leaned over to him and lowered her voice a hair below shouting. "I hope you have some tic tacs, too. A girl appreciates it when a man's prepared." Gold grimaced at her and moved to the door. She called after him, intent on having the last word. "You know they have some whipped cream in the refrigerated section."

          Gold ground his teeth and turned again to face her. "Thank you, Miss Swan, for the advice, but I already have some at home chilling."

          Emma gaped at him as he walked out the door, wondering if she'd ever beat the man at his own game.

 

*.*.*

 

          "Stop fidgeting, Belle, you look amazing," Ruby scolded as she stood with Belle at the full-length mirror adorning one corner of Ruby's bedroom and admiring their reflection. "I promise you this … no one is going to have any doubt this evening about who you belong to. I'm just surprised he didn't insist having his name tattooed on your butt."

          Belle laughed warmly and cut her eyes at Ruby. "Don't give him any ideas," she said. She would be the first to admit she belonged to Gold, finding no shame in the fact. Yes, she belonged to him, but he also let her be her own person, in no way trying to squash her independence. They balanced each other well. She turned her head as Granny knocked on the door and announced that Gold had arrived. "Coming!"

          Ruby walked down with her, making sure Belle didn't lose her balance and trip down the stairs. A broken leg and a trip to the ER would have definitely put a damper on the evening. She could honestly say she'd never seen that particular expression on Gold's face as he looked at Belle, one so filled with love and devotion - and yes, desire - that it was almost painful to witness.

          She traded a glance with her stern grandmother who seemed to share in her surprise and discomfort. It was hard for them to realize the pawn broker had a heart hidden beneath the sarcasm and icy exterior and that he might be capable of loving someone.

          Gold only had eyes for his Belle. She was draped in his gifts, dress, shoes and jewelry all in his trademark color. He took her hands in his and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, pulling back to meet her radiant smile with a sheepish one of his own. "You look beautiful, my Belle," he murmured, his hand raising to smooth over her hair, soothing the itch in his hands to touch the glossy strands.

          Belle's eyes swept over him, taking in his black suit, black shirt and gold silk tie. They complimented one other well. "As do you, Rum." She leaned closer to whisper, "I missed you."

          They were becoming caught up in one another as was happening more and more frequently of late and Ruby had to clear her throat to draw their attention. "Have fun, you two."

          Belle beamed at her. "Oh, we will. Tell Viktor to behave himself and you call me tomorrow."

          Gold nodded at the two Lucas women and helped Belle on with her coat, ushering her out to the car and into the backseat. Dove closed the door behind them and turned on the heater to chase the chill from the car. Gold's hands itched to delve his hands into her hair and drag her face to his, but he settled for twining them with hers and resting them against his lap.

          "Did you have fun with your friends today?" he asked, trying to think of something to say which wouldn't reveal the turmoil churning inside him. He wanted her to enjoy herself tonight. He wanted to take her somewhere nice and have dinner with him, showing the entire town she'd chosen to be with  _him._  But on the other hand, he wanted to return to their home and spend the evening locked with her in the library before the fire, jealously guarding her as a dragon would hoard his treasures. She was his greatest treasure, the keeper of his heart and his one true love.

          "I did, very much. It was an experience I will remember for quite some time. You wouldn't believe what Ariel put us through and Emma's reactions were quite amusing," she said, her eyes twinkling with ill-concealed humor.

          "Really? Was it the mud bath or the body wrap?" he asked, remembering some of the terms Miss Triton had explained to him when he'd purchased the packages the previous afternoon.

          "Actually, it was the de-nuding," Belle said, blushing and lowering her eyes to peek at him from beneath her lashes.

          "I beg your pardon?"

          Belle placed her lips close to his ear, her breath sending a delightful shiver to trip along his spine. "The de-nuding. We haven't a single hair on our bodies from the neck down. They slathered this thick gel all over us – something Ariel invented herself and plans to patent. It wasn’t at all pleasant, but it was painless … much better than waxing."

          Gold swallowed audibly around the lump forming in his throat as he envisioned his Belle completely hairless … everywhere. He shifted slightly in his seat, seeking a more comfortable position as he felt all the blood leave his head and travel south to his groin. "Remind me to send Miss Triton a rather hefty tip in the morning," he said, a low growl rumbling from his chest.

          "Oh, I shall. Emma said you were a right old pervert who spent his days wondering what we all looked like under our clothes," she retorted, nodding her head and giggling.

          Gold smirked, the left side of his mouth curling up in amusement. "I'll have you know, I only want to know what one woman looks like beneath her clothes," he replied, slipping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her in for a brief kiss. They'd arrived at their destination and he didn't want to ruin her makeup with his wandering lips before she could even get out of the car.

          Belle shivered as she stepped from the car and the icy wind made contact with her legs, bare aside from the thin stockings she wore. She only had a moment to take in the festive decorations which adorned the outside of the building as he led her through the entrance, his arm around her waist holding her securely to her side so she wouldn't slip on a patch of ice. "Jefferson offered me a job here when he first opened," she said offhandedly as Gold took her coat and handed it over to the coat check girl. "But it conflicted with my schedule at _Game of Thorns_."

          Gold's lip turned up into a sneer as he thought of her working as nothing more than a slave for her father. She would have been able to make a better wage and better tips if she'd worked here for her friend. But then again, it had worked better to his advantage when he'd presented the deal to her. If she'd worked at the Wonderland Garden, it would have given her the opportunity to have a little savings she could have used to pay her father's debts and kept her out of his grasp. Before he could answer, Jefferson appeared before them and pulled Belle into a hug.

          There was a resounding smack as the hatter's lips met Belle's cheek and she giggled as she pushed him back to arm's length so he could take in her finery. "You look amazing, my lovey. Are we trying to make a statement?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow in Gold's direction. He held out his hand and Gold shook it grudgingly.

          "You tease! Behave yourself," Belle scolded, the smile never leaving her face. He never would take her seriously in either realm.

          Gold leaned over to whisper, "Belle, sweetheart, Jefferson has his memories as well."

          "What!?" She squeezed Jefferson's hand gently and flashed him a blinding smile full of hope. "You remember?"

          Jefferson's teasing nature took a backseat to his surprise as he looked to Gold for confirmation. Gold simply nodded. "Oh, Belle," he breathed in awe, wrapping his arms around his friend and crushing her to his chest in his relief. "You know who I am. How did this happen?"

          "Jefferson, you're squishing me," Belle managed to get out, taking a deep breath as she was released. "When I moved in with Rum, I started having these dreams about our life together in the Dark Castle." She cut her eyes at Gold and blushed. "Then he got drunk one night and pretty much confessed _everything_. I thought he was losing his mind, but the things he was saying coincided a bit too much with what I'd been dreaming, and I knew he was telling the truth. But it was Henry and his storybook which helped me to get my memories back," she explained in a low voice so the other diners coming through the front door wouldn't overhear their conversation.

          Jefferson's icy grey stare settled on Gold for a long moment, his lips pursed in thought. "Did you grovel at her feet? Beg for her forgiveness and tell her you're the world's biggest ass for letting her go?"

          Gold took her hand and drew her to his side, his fingertips coming to rest just beneath her chin to tip her face up to meet his gaze. "I did. I don't deserve her forgiveness, but who am I to argue when presented with such a gift."

          Jefferson had to look away from the tender scene and direct his hostess to show the lovers to their reserved table, the best in the house which would give them privacy and a clear view of the restaurant at the same time. Gold nodded to David Nolan as they passed their table, but Belle stopped to greet her friend. Mary Margaret blushed prettily, the enhanced color in her cheeks almost the same color as her pink frock. The couple looked nervous and uncomfortable to be out in public together and a little worried to have Gold smirking at them over Belle's shoulder. But this was one secret Gold would happily keep to spare himself his love's wrath should it get out and he was the culprit.

          He found it quite amusing as he drew Belle away from their table and let his eyes search the dining room. Regina was perusing her menu, sharing a table with the sheriff. Graham looked uneasy as if he were wishing he were anywhere but sharing a meal with the mayor.

          There was a mild disturbance by the door leading into the kitchen which drew Belle's attention as he seated her at their own table. Emma had arrived and Jefferson was attempting to kiss her despite her protests as he dragged her off for their own dinner in the privacy of the restaurant kitchen. But what surprised him most was Kathryn Nolan sitting at a far table with the physical education teacher from Storybrooke Elementary. Gold’s gaze ping-ponged from her table to the one her husband was sharing with Miss Blanchard.

          "I know that look, Rumpel. Whatever you're thinking … don't," Belle warned when she caught the avaricious glint in his eyes.

          "I don't know what you mean," he said evasively, taking a long drink from his water goblet.

          Belle picked up her menu and drawled, "Of course not."

          "Just think of the scene which would transpire if those two happen to notice one another," he said gleefully, biting back an impish giggle. Her face disappeared entirely behind the menu she held, and he knew she was trying to stop the laughter threatening to bubble from her lips. The married couple spotting one another had the potential to have the entire restaurant erupt into chaos, something which the imp in Gold thrived upon.

          "I have no idea what to order," Belle complained. "There are no prices on my menu."

          "Sweetheart, you don't need to worry about money. Order whatever you like."

          "I can't decide."

          Gold shook his head and smiled. "Would you like me to order for you, dearest? Jefferson has at one time or another made me sample everything on the menu."

          Belle seemed to relax after that, trusting his judgment. It hadn't been often she'd been able to visit Jefferson at his restaurant, her schedule not allowing much time for her friends, but on the rare occasion she did visit, she hadn't had time for a meal. Gold ordered the house wine and an appetizer of bacon-wrapped bay scallops for them to share. That was followed with a side salad which Gold didn't touch, saving his appetite for a petite filet, stuffed lobster tail and twice baked potato.

          There was little wonder his appetite was nearly non-existent. The engagement ring he'd chosen for Belle was burning a hole in his pocket and his stomach churned the closer it came to the end of the meal. There was so much he wanted to say, so many things he wanted to promise to her, but his tongue was threatening to stick to the roof of his dry mouth and render him incapable of uttering a single one. It was distracting him from their conversation and by the time their dessert arrived, he felt as though he were sitting on a live wire.

Belle gripped his chin suddenly and brought his face close to hers, capturing his attention and making him focus on her. "You haven't heard a word I've said, and you haven't touched your cheesecake even though I know it's your favorite. Now what's troubling you?"

          Gold picked up his fork and took a bite of the dessert, stalling for time. "Nothing, love. Everything's fine," he said, knowing she hadn't believed a word of it.

          She set her fork down and pushed her plate aside, leveling him with an open stare and waiting for him to be honest with her. She was entirely too perceptive for his own good and knew she wouldn't let it go until he confessed. He pushed his own plate aside and sighed in resignation. It was now or never, it was get it over with or drive a wedge between them and that was something he would  _not_  let himself do after all they'd been through already.

          He scooted his chair closer to hers, wishing he was able to get down on one knee for her and cursing his bad leg. He took both of her hands in his and Belle frowned. "Rum, what is it? You look like you're about to swallow your tongue. Oh, Gods! You're doing it again. You sending me away, aren't you?"

          Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought and he had to rush to reassure her. "No, no, no, my Belle, never that. I …"

          "Why does she look like she's about to cry? What did you do, Gold?" Ruby hissed, coming to a stop in front of their table, an uncomfortable looking Whale at her side. They'd been on their way to their own table when Ruby had spotted Belle and the distress marring her lovely face.

          "It was just a misunderstanding, Ruby, nothing more. Everything's fine. Hello, Viktor, you look very nice this evening," Belle recovered, smiling at the couple. Gold clenched his teeth and shook Whale's hand, refusing to let the little wolf girl rile him.

          "Alright. Good." Her features softened as she let the fierce protective glower slip from her face. "Sorry I jumped to conclusions. And Mr. Gold?" she said, wincing slightly.

          "Yes, Miss Lucas?"

          "Thank you for the spa day," she said with a grudging smile. She was really trying for Belle's sake and was rewarded with a bright smile from her friend.

          Gold smirked, cutting off a snort. "You are very welcome, Miss Lucas."

          Whale prodded Ruby in the direction of their table and left them alone once again for Gold to muddle through on his own. Belle kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Rum. It was very sweet that you didn't threaten to evict her and Granny from the B&B," she teased.

          "Yes, well …" He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. Ruby's interruption should have helped quell the frantic beating of his heart and give him an extra moment to calm his nerves, but it hadn't. The fear of rejection was a powerful thing. "Belle, I'd like to ask you something."

          "Rum, you know you can ask me anything."

          "I know, but sometimes … well, it's difficult. It's hard for me to share things with you, with _anyone_ , but I  _am_  trying. When I made that deal with you, Belle, it was the best I'd ever made. You found something in me I'd thought had died centuries before. You made me feel again, made me feel like a man instead of the monster I am."

          Belle placed her fingertips to his lips. "You are  _not_  a monster, Rumpelstiltskin. I don't know how many times I'm going to have to tell you that before you finally believe me."

          He smiled against her fingers and placed a kiss to her palm. "May I finish?" he asked, reveling in the warmth of her tender smile.

          "Sorry. Go on."

          "It was one of the worst mistakes of my life to send you away and I will always regret it. It is only by some miracle I found you again and you forgave me. My Belle, I don't want to ever be parted from you again. I don't think I could live through it." He paused to brush the tears away from her eyes, knowing it was taking a great effort for her to still her tongue from blanketing him with reassurances that she'd never leave him again whether he liked it or not.

          He pulled the blue velvet ring box from the pocket of his jacket and placed it in her hands, wrapping her fingers around it. "I love you, Belle. I want to spend my life with you. I want you by my side, in my home, and in my bed for the rest of my life, love. I want you to be my wife," he breathed, his voice lowering into a passionate whisper, all the love he felt for her shining in his eyes. "Will you have me, Belle? Will you marry me?"

          Belle couldn't stop the tears then as she opened the box and gasped at the symbol of his love in which he'd chosen for her. "Yes, Rum, of course I'll marry you. I love you, so very much."

          Gold breathed a sigh of relief as he took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger, gently pressing a kiss to her knuckle. She cradled his face in her hands and pulled him in for a long lingering kiss to seal their newest deal. She couldn't help but notice their deals only kept getting better and better. The long months she'd spent in Regina's tower before the curse had been enacted, the multitude of wishes and hopes which had consumed her days had finally been realized. Her sorcerer loved her, wanted to marry her and spend his life with her. Their past was no longer an issue. Instead she had their bright future to look forward to.

          "I will endeavor to make you happy, Belle. I promise," he whispered against her lips when she finally allowed him to come up for air.

          She brushed the hair away from his eyes and pressed her brow to his. "Don't you see, Rum? You already have."

 

*.*.*

 

          "Oh, it's freezing in here, Rum," Belle said around her chattering teeth as they hung up their coats next to the door. She vigorously rubbed her arms, trying to restore the warmth which was slowly seeping out of her. She kicked off her shoes and waited for him to do the same, looking expectantly for an explanation.

          "I had turned the heat off this afternoon because it was too warm in the library with the fire. I'm sorry, love, I guess I forgot to turn it back on." He turned the thermostat as high as it would go and led her into the library. The hearth still held the remnants of the fire he'd lit that morning and the air in the library wasn't as chilled as in the rest of the house. Belle took the wolf's fur blanket off the back of the sofa and wrapped it around herself, settling on the rug to get closer to the warm hearth while Gold added wood and stoked the fire into a cheery blaze.

          He removed his tie, jacket and waistcoat and crawled under the blanket with her, pulling her against his side. Belle hummed her pleasure at having him close to her and rested her head against his shoulder. Her head was swimming in a haze of contentment, and she didn't know if it was the wine she'd had with dinner, the love and happiness she felt at being whole again and with the man she loved, or a combination of both. "I think you did this on purpose?"

          Gold peered down at her with amusement. "Do you now?"

          "I do. I think you left the heat off so I would have no choice but to share your body heat to get warm. You, my spinner, have always been extremely clever," she teased, tapping him on the end of his nose.

          "I assure you it was entirely an oversight. I didn't think I needed to employ underhanded tactics to have you in my arms," he replied, trailing his fingertips from her temple to the curve of her jaw and running the pad of his thumb over her lips. "Besides, I had champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries chilling in the refrigerator for when we returned. Now it seemed hot chocolate would be more appropriate."

          "Rumpel, you didn't have to go to so much trouble and expense today. All I want is to be with you. You don't have to spoil me," she huffed. She leaned into him, placing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, her hand smoothing back the hair which had fallen over his eyes. "When you look at me, I want to see the love you feel for me in your eyes. When you touch me, I want to feel your desire and when you are away from me, I want you to think of me with the same longing I have for you."

          "I love you, sweetheart. I just want to show you how much," he whispered softly, his hand tightening on her waist as she shifted her position and climbed onto his lap, straddling his waist and looping her arms around his neck.

          "Then show me, Rum," she murmured against his mouth. "Forget about buying me things and showering me with gifts. All I need is you."

          "But, Belle …"

          "Touch me, Rumpel. Show me."

          Heat slithered through his veins like a viper, snapping at his nerves endings and lighting him on fire as he crushed her to him. Everything he'd ever wanted was perched upon his lap, her hips cradling his, her breasts pressed to his chest and her lips eagerly molded to his own. His beautiful Belle, so full of warmth and light and passion. And suddenly it was too warm under the blanket. He tossed it from his shoulders and let it fall behind them, his skin burning, itching to feel every inch of her. Her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt furiously trying to divest him of the offending garment as her tongue plundered his mouth, dueling with his and fighting for dominance over the kiss.

          Belle writhed against him, seeking to quell the heat and burning pressure that emanated from her belly and coiled in her core. She rocked her hips against the evidence of his arousal as she freed the last button on his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders, her hands spreading across his bare chest and shoulders, reveling in the texture of his skin. She wanted him so badly, to touch him, to feel him, to drink in the soft moans and guttural growls that spilled from his lips and into her mouth. A whimper escaped her own lips as he pulled away and trailed his lips along her jaw to her ear nipping gently as his hand moved to the zipper of her dress.

          The heat of the fire caressed her skin as he whipped the dress over her head and tossed it aside, leaving her in only her gold lace bra and knickers. "Beautiful," he whispered as he drank in the sight of her in his gift. "So beautiful, my Belle," he breathed as he traced the swell of her breast over the lace. He cupped her breasts through the lace, his thumbs ghosting over her nipples as she keened her pleasure, throwing her head back at the sensation when his lips replaced his hand and drew her into his mouth.

          Belle delved her hands into his hair, her nails lightly scraping his scalp and his fingers dug into her hips as he laid her back against the sheepskin rug. "Belle, we don't have to do this tonight," he affirmed, searching her eyes. They were heavily-lidded and dilated with desire, her lips parted and swollen from his kisses and he knew without he words, she wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her.

          "Don't stop, Rum. I need you. I need to feel you, my love," she breathed heavily, pulling him back to her and drawing his bottom lip into her mouth, biting gently. She reached around behind her and unclasped her bra, dragging the lacy material away from her body. The modesty ingrained in her since she had been a young woman made her want to cover herself, but the heat in Gold's eyes deterred her as he looked his fill.

          She moved her hand down to the buckle of his belt and removed it, but when she unfastened the button on his trousers, he stopped her, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the delicate skin of her wrist. He couldn't have her touch him just yet or he would lose the fragile control he was clinging to.

          Belle was lost in a sea of sensation under the onslaught of his hands, his mouth and the burning desire which radiated from him as almost a tangible living entity as he worshipped her body. His gaze never left her, as though he were afraid she was a dream and she would disappear from his sight forever if he but closed his eyes.

          He went to work on her stockings, rolling each one down her legs, his blunt nails raking over her over-sensitized flesh only to be followed by his lips until finally the only thing was the lacy scrap of material covering her womanhood. Her hips jerked involuntarily as his hand brushed over her core, his calloused spinner's fingers dragging her knickers over her hips and down her legs.

          Gold returned to her, his eyes closed tightly as he fought to slow down, to take his time. It was becoming more and more difficult as she writhed beneath him, her hands roaming his chest and back in her impatience to end the heat emanating from the apex of her thighs. "Belle, love," he whispered against her neck, his teeth, lips and tongue biting gently and marking her as his own. "Relax. Breathe, darling."

          "Rumpel, please … I need …" she panted, straining and arching into him and drawing a rumbled response from his chest somewhere between a moan and a growl. She skimmed her hands down his chest and over the flat plane of his stomach to help divest him of his trousers and underwear, her impatience to have him growing stronger by the second. Together they were able to get them around his ankles and toss them out of the way.

          "Damn!" he cursed, lifting himself away from her and fumbling in the drawer of the table to the left of the sofa.

          "What are you doing?" she cried, covering her breasts with her arm as he left her, her modesty creeping up on her. He was back before whatever chill left in the room was able to reach her once more. Her mouth formed an 'o' of surprise as she watched him roll the condom onto his shaft. Thankfully, he'd remembered, because once he'd touched her, she'd all but forgotten their discussion of the night before.

          "Sweetheart, are you sure?" he asked one last time as he hovered over her, his hand smoothing the hair away from her face and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

          Belle was beyond speech as she delved her hands into his hair and pulled him down to take his mouth in a hungry kiss. She hoped he would take her actions as a heartfelt yes and he didn't disappoint her, pulling her close and settling himself between her thighs. He probed at her entrance, trying to be as gentle as possible with her. There was no avoiding the pain she'd feel, and it tore at his heart that he would be the one to inflict it. Yet another part of him rejoiced that he would be her first, her only.

          He wound one arm around her hips and another around her shoulders and thrust deep, burying himself until there was nothing left of him to give. He swallowed her cry, gently taking her mouth in soft nibbling kisses as he waited for her to adjust to him.

          "Breathe, darling. Please be alright. I'm so sorry I hurt you," he whispered against her lips, holding her head with one hand as his other moved along her arms, her sides, her hips in soothing strokes. He was surprised at the pleased smile which spread across her face.

          "I'm not going to break, Rum," she said with a throaty chuckle as she tentatively moved against him, raising her hips and grinding them against his. And then he forgot to breathe as his racing heart thundered against his ribs, thrusting into her with long slow strokes as her inner folds clenched him tightly with her hot wet heat. If he perished in that very moment, he would die a happy man, wrapped in his true love's embrace. She was exquisite and she was his and throughout the last three centuries he'd never experienced anything close to what Belle made him feel in his body and in his heart.

          She met him thrust for thrust, feeling the blood burn in her veins and the pressure build in her loins, reaching ever higher for an end just short of her grasp. She yearned and she longed for an end to the exquisite torture she couldn't comprehend and when it crested over her in a wave of bliss, she cried out into his the crook of his neck and felt tears spring to her eyes from the sheer beauty of her climax. He lost his rhythm as he watched the pleasure spread over her features, his movements erratic and unsure until he cried out his own release, biting down on her shoulder to muffle the moan which spilled from his lips, leaving him breathless and gasping as she clenched and spasmed around his length.

          Gold had the presence of mind to shift to her side, his arms holding her tightly to his chest and bringing her with him to rest her ear to his heart as their breathing became less frenzied and settled to normal once more. He pressed soft kisses to her hair, her temple and her brow, whispering nonsense into the silence of the room. "Are you alright, my Belle? Did I hurt you?"

          Belle yawned and pressed a kiss to his chest, her arm limp over his stomach. "I'm perfect," she murmured sleepily. "Best Valentine's Day ever, Rum."

          He left her for a moment to dispose of the condom and find the blanket which had somehow gotten lost in their discarded clothes. He laid beside her again and covered them, pillowing her once again on his chest. "I love you, sweetheart," he said, feeling the pull of sleep mingle with the languorous bliss which settled deep into his limbs.

          "Love you, too."

 

*.*.*

 

          Belle's eyes fluttered open as the morning sun streamed through the tall windows into the library, focusing on the man lying beside her. A wide smile settled on her lips as she brushed the hair away from his eyes. She couldn't remember a time when she'd been happier. Always, she had thought, her happiest memories were of her time with Rumpelstiltskin in the Dark Castle, but it was nothing compared to being with him here in a land with no magic.

          She wouldn't begrudge him his magic, it was a big part of who he was, but there was so much more to experience here. Easing herself from under Gold's arm, she stood and rifled through the clothes strewn over the floor and sofa, pulling his shirt on and doing up the buttons as she made her way to the downstairs bathroom. There was a soreness between her legs which was unfamiliar and a tightness in her womb she hoped would pass with time.

          Belle turned down the thermostat to a comfortable seventy-two degrees - the temperature in the house a bit stifling - and wandered into the kitchen to set the tea kettle on the stove. She glanced down at the ring on her finger and held it up to the light to admire the stones set in the platinum band. He'd asked for her hand. They were going to be married. And she would have pondered longer on the subject if the doorbell hadn't rung, dragging her away from her musings of flowers and dresses and what type of ceremony they would have.

          Belle looked down at herself and grimaced, knowing Gold wouldn't be happy with her opening the door wearing only his shirt, but apparently, judging from the knocking and pressing of the doorbell, she didn't have a choice. Gold needed to sleep for just a bit longer before he had to get dressed for work and the noise was threatening to wake him. A blush stole up to stain the apples of her cheeks when she opened the door to find her father standing on the porch, his face mottled with anger.

          Moe French took in the state of her undress, his face losing a shade of color, leaving it more crimson than puce, his mouth gaping in shock. "Papa! What are you doing here?"

          "I came to see you," he blustered, his gaze fixated on the black dress shirt she wore, her legs bare. "I've had people coming into the shop all morning telling me about your disgraceful behavior. You're coming home with me!"

          "What disgraceful behavior?" she gasped out, her own ire rising.

          "The mayor told me she saw you out with Gold last night and that you looked much too friendly with him to simply be his housekeeper." He reached over the threshold and grabbed her wrist, pulling her struggling form out onto the porch and down the front steps.

          "Papa, stop! I'm not going anywhere with you."

          "You're still my daughter." He was panting by the time they reached the driveway. She was stronger than she looked, and was putting up a decent struggle. Her feet were bare and burned against the icy pavement, wishing she would have put on her slippers before answering her door to be faced by her enraged father. Tired of her struggles, he bent down and lifted her over his shoulder.

          "You've lost your mind, Moe French! Do you have any idea what Gold is going to do to you? Last time he put you in the hospital, this time it'll be the morgue," she shrieked. She bounced along on his shoulder, her screams for Gold ringing in the air. "Papa, I don't have any underwear on. There are children in this neighborhood you are going to scar for life. Put me down!" She was able to wiggle around enough where he lost his grip and dropped her.

          As soon as her feet hit the sidewalk, she broke into a run, trying to reach the safety of the house. Dove had come out of the apartment he had over the garage, cellphone in hand and no doubt dialing the sheriff. Gold was moving faster than she'd ever seen him move before, leaning heavily on his cane and just wearing his suit pants. Bedlam had erupted and she wanted to know where she could get off. Moe had a good head start on Gold, but Dove was gaining as she was hefted once more onto her father's shoulder.

          She went flying into Mr. Shoemacher's flower bed as Dove tackled Moe and he lost his grip on her. Gold was screaming and raising his cane to do some serious damage, and everyone was ignoring her shouts for them to cease the madness. Emma pulled up in record time, running around the front of the squad car and drawing her gun, her eyes wide as she tried to listen to everyone trying to explain at the same time.

          Belle knew she'd be pulling crushed flowers out of her bum for a week as she regained her footing and rushed to Emma's side. "Don't shoot anyone, Emma. It was Papa's fault. Or rather Regina's fault for spreading tales to my father," she hurriedly explained. "Rum, put that away!" she scolded, glancing over her shoulder to see he'd raised his cane to whack her father over the head.

          "Well, dearest, it's not every morning I wake up to find my fiancé being abducted!" he tossed back angrily.

          "What?!" from Emma and Moe. Emma gave the florist a quelling look and raised a brow at Gold. "Fiancé?"

          Belle showed off her ring to her friend. "He proposed last night. We're getting married," she gushed happily. Emma admired Belle's ring, forgetting about the florist on the sidewalk, short-winded from the giant of a man sitting on his chest.

          "Excuse me, but could you get this behemoth off my bleedin' chest?" Moe sputtered. "And you are  _not_ marrying him, Belle. I won't have it."

          "It's my life, Papa, and I'll marry the man of my choosing. If you can't accept that, too bad," Belle hissed at him. She was hopping from foot to foot, the cold of the sidewalk making her feet hurt terribly. She moved to Gold's side and twined her fingers with his, pulling him back towards the house before he, too, was arrested. Dove finally got off of Moe so Emma could cuff him and shove him into the back of the squad car, shaking her head and cursing the crazy town she'd landed in.

          Gold ushered her into the warm house and settled her on a stool in the kitchen to check for damage to her feet. The tea kettle whistled angrily behind him on the stove and he took a moment to remove it from the burner. Her feet were reddened from the cold, but would warm up sufficiently by the fire. He cupped her face in his hands. "Are you alright, love? Did he hurt you?"

          "No," she pouted. "Papa was just being his typical bone-headed self."

          "I suppose you'll be wanting me to post his bail," Gold grumbled, pouring the water into the tea pot now that he was assured his love had no damage to her person.

          "No, Rum, I don't think that would be in his best interests. He's got help to run the shop now. I think you should talk to Emma and see if his release can be arranged on the condition he seeks help for his alcohol problem. I want my papa back." She snorted as a thought occurred to her. "He's going to be your father-in-law after all." He groaned and ground his teeth.

          "As you wish, sweetheart." He placed her tea cup in her hands, the heat of it warming her frozen skin. "Anything to make you happy."

          Belle caught her bottom lip between her teeth and peeked at him from beneath her lashes, her blue eyes sparkling. "Anything?"

          "Anything."

          Belle pulled him into her embrace, wrapping both her arms and her legs around him as he stepped into the cradle of her thighs. All she wanted was him. He'd saved her once again, something he was making a habit of. They had wedding plans to look forward to, a pawn shop to run, an evil queen to vanquish, his son to find and long lovely nights in front of their fire. Everything else could wait, their love couldn't.

 

**The End**


End file.
